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Home › Articles › Special Needs › Autism

Autism

Understanding the Disorder

By Lisamarie Sanders

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Jared was 1 years old, but he didn't talk like the other kids in the playgroup. In fact, he didn't even point to things. He seemed to have no interest in communicating at all. And he had no interest in the other children. While they were playing make-believe or arguing over who had what toy, Jared sat in the corner wildly flapping his arms.

His mom was confused and a little embarrassed when another parent commented, "He's a loner, isn't he?"

"I guess," his mom responded, with a forced chuckle. She wanted to believe that it was that simple, but, deep down, she knew it was something more.

The Disorder
Although it's impossible to make an accurate diagnosis without a professional evaluation, Jared's behaviors are indicative of autism. Autism is a neurological disorder that affects the normal development of communication and social skills. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as one in 500 individuals have the condition, which is more likely to occur in boys than in girls. Most often, signs of the disorder typically appear by a child's 3rd birthday and continue to varying degrees throughout his life.

Researchers have yet to find a specific cause for autism, but there are a variety of theories. Because many autistic children have family histories of autism or related disabilities, it is believed to have a genetic link. There is also evidence that autism may be caused by an overabundance of yeast in the body. Still other researchers have linked autism to lack of oxygen at birth, food allergies and vaccines.

In the process of identifying causes for the disorder, scientists have proven many long-held beliefs wrong. We now know that autism is not a mental illness. It is not caused by bad parenting or by unruly children. Additionally, there are no known psychological factors in the development of the child that lead to autism.

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