Information on Autism Spectrum Disorders

What is Autism?

Autism is a chronic developmental disorder which is usually diagnosed between the ages of 18 and 30 months. It is a chronic neurological condition and has no cure.

Autism is the result of a neurological disorder which affects the brain,…

Autism Causes

Autism is a highly complex disorder, with no single known cause. Although some infants are apparently born with autism, many children develop symptoms between 3 and 5 years of age (known as ‘regressive’ autism), and there are no consistent causes…

Early Symptoms of Autism

While some children develop autim fairly dramatically and suddenly as toddlers, other children are born with the disorder. In these cases, detecting the early symptoms of autism allows parents to begin supportive care and possible therapies as early as possible.…

Autism Symptoms

Autism is a complex disorder, with a wide variety of possible symptoms. However, autism symptoms generally encompass three area of impairment: social interaction (difficulty understanding normal emotions, acting indifferent or ‘closed’ towards other people), communication (difficulty with spoken or written communication,…

Asperger Syndrome

Asperger Syndrome is a ‘mild’ form of autism, distinguished primarily by a lack of the developmental and linguistic delays characteristic of ‘classic’ autism. Asperger’s patients generally exhibit normal linguistic skills, and often have higher-than-average intelligence, but also have the lack…

High Functioning Autism

High functioning autism is an unofficial term often used with autistic individuals who display a relatively low level of impairment in their day to day function. While severely impaired patients may require lifelong care, living in residential institutions if family…

Pervasive Developmental Disorders

Pervasive Developmental Disorders is the somewhat outdated “official” term for Autism Spectrum Disorders. While the DSM-IV still lists “PDD-NOS” (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified) as a recognized disorder, PDD is becoming increasingly disfavored, and these disorders may be…

Seizures in Autism

Approximately 25% of autism patients may experience seizures during the onset of puberty. While some individuals will experience convulsions and other visually noticeable seizure activity, many will experience subclinical seizures which are at high risk of going untreated. While it is not…

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is increasingly the favored term for what used to be called Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). Many experts felt the PDD label gave a false impression of what autism and related disorders were. Not all autistic individuals…

Autism Research

Since autism was first clinically described in 1943, doctors have puzzled over the possible causes and cures for this puzzling, complex disorder. Autism research continues to be a top priority for everyone involved with autistic individuals on either a professional…

Vaccines and Autism

While researchers agree autism is probably rooted in genetic factors, nobody has determined exactly which genes (or how many) may be involved, and studies of identical twins prove that autism is not a solely genetic disorder. Researchers continue to look…

Autism Jewelry

Awareness bracelets and ribbons are very popular for many causes today. Autism awareness is no different. You can find many online retailers selling autism jewelry and ribbons. While awareness bracelets may be the most popular item these days, those who…

Autism Bracelets

If you’d like to help promote autism awareness, many organizations are now selling autism bracelets. Many are silicone bracelets, made popular by Lance Armstrong’s “Livestrong” cancer benefit, in a multi-colored design echoing the ‘jigsaw puzzle’ motif used to symbolize autism.…