Autism

Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life. Some children progress normally until 2 years of age and then began to show symptoms.The disorder affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills. There is no known single cause but genetic and enviromental factors are thought to contribute to the disease. There is no known evidence that links autism to childhood vaccines. It is believed 0.3 to 0.6% of children in the US are affected.

Symptoms

Symptoms usually appear by 18 months and most parents notice something is abnormal by 2 years of age. Children demonstrate problems with: pretend play, social interactions, nonverbal communication, language development, and poor social skills. Some children develop normally until 2 years of age then regress.

Tests

A history and physical exam will be performed. There is no blood test or radiology test that can confirm the disorder. The diagnosis is made by ruling out other causes of the behavior and by performing a screening exam using tools such as: Autism Diagnostic Interview - Revised (ADI-R), Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), Childhood Autism rating Scale (CARS), and/or Gilliam Autism Rating Scale.

Treatment

Treatment is best started early and individualized to the patient. Multiple therapies are used singly or in combination and include: applied behavior analysis (ABA), medications, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language therapy.