whats Autism?

Answer 1

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities defined by significant impairments in social interaction and communication and the presence of unusual behaviors and interests. Many people with ASDs also have unusual ways of learning, paying attention, or reacting to different sensations. The thinking and learning abilities of people with ASDs can vary – from gifted to severely challenged. ASD begins before the age of 3 and lasts throughout a person's life. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups and is four times more likely to occur in boys than girls.

Answer 2

Autism (sometimes called “classical autism”) is the most common condition in a group of developmental disorders known as the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests. Other ASDs include Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS). Experts estimate that three to six children out of every 1,000 will have autism. Males are four times more likely to have autism than females.

Answer 3

What Does Autism Mean?
Autism (say: aw-tih-zum) causes kids to experience the world differently from the way most other kids do. It's hard for kids with autism to talk with other people and express themselves using words. Kids who have autism usually keep to themselves and many can't communicate without special help.

They also may react to what's going on around them in unusual ways. Normal sounds may really bother someone with autism - so much so that the person covers his or her ears. Being touched, even in a gentle way, may feel uncomfortable.

Kids with autism often can't make connections that other kids make easily. For example, when someone smiles, you know the smiling person is happy or being friendly. But a kid with autism may have trouble connecting that smile with the person's happy feelings.

A kid who has autism also has trouble linking words with their meanings. Imagine trying to understand what your mom was saying if you didn't know what her words really meant. It is doubly frustrating then if a kid can't come up with the right words to express his or her own thoughts.

Autism causes kids to act in unusual ways. They might flap their hands, say certain words over and over, have temper tantrums, or play only with one particular toy. Most kids with autism don't like changes in routines. They like to stay on a schedule that is always the same. They also may insist that their toys, or other objects, are arranged a certain way and get upset if these items are moved or disturbed.

If someone has autism, his or her brain has trouble with an important job: making sense of the world. Every day, your brain interprets the sights, sounds, smells, and other sensations that you experience. If your brain couldn't help you understand these things, you would have trouble functioning, talking, going to school, and doing other everyday stuff. Kids can be mildly affected by autism, so that they only have a little trouble in life, or they can be very affected, so that they need a lot of help.

What Causes Autism?
Autism affects two to six out of every 1,000 kids, but no one knows what causes it. Some scientists think that some kids might be more likely to get autism because it or similar disorders run in their families. Knowing the exact cause of autism is hard because the human brain is very complicated.

The brain contains over 100 billion nerve cells called neurons (say: nur-ahns). Each neuron may have hundreds or thousands of connections to other nerve cells in the brain and body. The connections (which are made by releasing neurotransmitters) let different neurons in different areas of the brain - areas that help you see, feel, move, remember, and much more - work together.

For some reason, some of the cells and connections in the brain of a kid with autism - especially those that affect communication, emotions, and senses - don't develop properly or get damaged. Scientists are still trying to understand how and why this happens.

Answer 4

Look at the autism research institute.Many things can make autism worse,litke nutritional deficiencies,food allergies,candida,lymes disease,viral infections.DAN doctors say autism is auto immune illness.Look at the book Children With Starving brains by J McCandless.Many people with autism,have sensory overload problems.That is extreme sensitivity to light,sound,touch and smell.Flourescent light,may flicker,noisy.They have extra painfull hearing,Not all do,but some may hear things,like the motor in the refridgerator running,lawn mowers,hair dryers,and such can be painfull to the ears.Many have processing disorders,where they cannot process auditoy and visual stimuli at the same time,Some hmay have Irlens syndrome.Problems socilaizing,understanding sarcasm,body language or facial expressions.Everyone is different,so not everyone has the same symptoms or severity of symptoms.Fixing food allergies,deficiencies,viral infections,lymes disease,can make the person function much better.

Answer 5

It's still a mysterious phenomenon, but Basically a person who is challenged with Autism is battling an over stimulation of information in their brains. There are lots of connections not being made that should be and lots that are being connected that shouldn't.
If you google autism, you will get many sites.

Answer 6

Autism is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests in delays of "social interaction, language as used in social communication, or symbolic or imaginative play," with "onset prior to age 3 years," according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The ICD-10 also requires symptoms to "manifest before the age of three years." Autism is often not physiologically obvious, in that outward appearance may not indicate a disorder, and diagnosis typically comes from a complete physical and neurological evaluation.

Answer 7

Autism Society of America: Autism Society of America Home PageThe society's mission is to promote lifelong access and opportunities for persons within the autism spectrum and their families.
www.autism-society.org/ - 18k - Jan 5, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages

Center for the Study of AutismProvides resources for both professions and family members of individuals with autism. Includes interventions, family support, and stories of persons with ...
www.autism.org/ - 13k - Cached - Similar pages

Autism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaSome autistic children and adults are opposed to attempts to cure autism, ... Those with the autism spectrum condition of Semantic Pragmatic Disorder fall ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism - 133k - Cached - Similar pages

Answer 8

See:
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/autism.htm

Answer 9

If you can, check out the movie, "Rainman." Dustin Hoffman does a great job of portraying autism, and Tom Cruise as the brother learns to love him.

Answer 10

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism