Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder.  Autism typically appears early in childhood, usually before the age of three.  It is one of five related conditions known as Autism Spectrum Disorders.   Generally, autism is considered to be a lifelong condition – though some children recover to the extent that they become indistinguishable from their typically developing peers.  Children with autism are usually identified around the age of three.   Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines. Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe.  Children with autism may have substantial impairments in social interaction and language skills as well as the presence of unusual behaviors and interests.  Other Autism Spectrum Disorders include, pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger syndrome. These conditions all have some of the same symptoms, but they differ in terms of onset, severity and the precise nature of the symptoms.   While severity and symptoms may vary, all Autism disorders affect a child's ability to communicate and socially interact with others.  The cognitive abilities of people with ASDs can vary—ranging from severely challenged to gifted.  Autism, Asperger Syndrome and PDD nos , along with Rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder, make up the broad diagnosis category of ASDs or pervasive developmental disorders.   

The rates of autism have risen dramatically and alarmingly in the last decade.   Today, 1 in 150 children is diagnosed with an Autism spectrum disorder.  Autism has become more common than pediatric diabetes, and AIDS combined.  While autism occurs in all racial, ethnic and socio-economic groups, there are differences in risk.  Genetics seems to play an important role in risk.  So does sex.  Boys are at a much higher risk of developing autism than girls.  The ratio of boys to girls with autism is 4 to 1.  When the rates of autism are adjusted for sex, a girls risk of autism today is 1 in 375, but a boy’s risk of being diagnosed with autism is a staggering 1 in about 94*.  With numbers like these, it is easy to understand why the subject of autism has consumed the media in the last few years.

Autism was first described by Dr. Leo Kanner in 1943.   At about the same time a German scientist, Dr. Hans Asperger, identified a milder form of the disorder,  Asperger Syndrome.  Both of  these disorders are characterized by varying degrees of impairment in communication skills and social abilities, and by repetitive behaviors, though Asperger syndrome is by definition a less severe form of ASD.   Since then scientists have made progress in understanding how to identify and treat children with ASD, but much, much more remains to be learned.  For the time being, early identification and treatment offer the best chance for improvement for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.  If you are visiting this site because you are concerned that your child, or a child you love may have autism, make sure to read our "autism symptoms" page and our "getting a diagnosis" page next.