What Is Autism?
Autism is also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a condition that affects a person’s behavioral and communication abilities. It involves a wide range of skills and symptoms. ASD can in some cases be a minor problem, while in some other cases a disability that requires full time care. Persons with autism often have trouble communicating. They also have trouble understanding how people feel and think. This makes it difficult for them to easily express themselves either by speaking or through facial expressions, hand gestures and touch.
Persons with autism may also have trouble learning new things. Their skill development is often uneven. This means that they could be very good with art, maths or music but find it hard to communicate and interact socially. Persons with ASD demonstrate repetitive, stereotyped or restricted patterns of behavior. ASD can be found in anyone, regardless of gender, culture, economic background and race. However, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [1] tells us that boys get autism more than girls, with a 4 to 1 boy to girl ratio. Autism usually starts in early childhood and goes on to make it hard for persons affected to function normally in society. In some cases, children with autism show symptoms within the first year. Autism has no singularly known cause, due to how complex the disorder is, severity of symptoms may vary, depending on the cause. Some causes of autism includes: