Autism Health TIPS

Understand and Treat Autism

Autism is a neuro-biological disorder with which a child is born. Autism affects several areas of a child's development. Although symptoms in children may lessen with age, autism is a lifelong disorder. Because of a suspected genetic link, siblings of a child with autism have a greater chance of being diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is not known how many children in the United States currently have autism or a related disorder. Because autism is considered a spectrum disorder, children can exhibit a combination of symptoms and behaviors in any degree of severity.

Recently, the NIH has undertaken a new research initiative in the realm of treatment interventions directed at autism symptoms. A major obstacle in useful autism research has been the lack of a valid means of measuring the effectiveness of various treatments. Clinical research studies continue to look for more promising treatments for autism. The Autism Treatment Network (ATN) is intended to develop clinical and research centers of excellence which will share current information on patient care, education, and research on autism.

Continue reading about Autism Treatment.

At birth, a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder often appears normal. A child with Autism Spectrum Disorder may not speak much or may remain silent. Sometimes you may hear other developmental disorders mentioned in the same way as autism, such as Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, and childhood disintegrative disorder. When children have an Autism Spectrum Disorder, they have trouble with communication and social skills and they have particular repetitive behaviors.

Continue reading about Child Autism.

The symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe. Doctors look for specific symptoms in communication and social impairments to diagnose autism. The diagnostic list of symptoms and behaviors associated with autism is long, and each affected person expresses his or her own combination of these behaviors. These symptoms alone don't confirm a diagnosis of autism, but are taken into consideration when evaluating children.

Continue reading about Symptoms of Autism.

Autism is a neurological disorder that causes impairments in communication, ability to learn, and social relatedness. Simply put, autism causes a child to retreat into an inner world. Little is known about the causes, treatment and prevention of autism. Because the primary causes of autism in children are not well understood, targeted prevention is difficult. No one knows exactly what causes Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), but scientists think that both genetic and environmental factors may play a role.

Continue reading about Causes of Autism.