Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. It is a neurobiological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain. Children and adults with autism face difficulty in processing information received from the various sensory organs. Autistic individuals may exhibit much bizarre behavior like spinning, flapping of hands, self-talking, constant jumping to name a few. Autism affects the areas of speech, language & communication, social interaction, leisure and play. Those affected by autism also have their strengths - they are very good with numbers, have a photographic memory, very good at the arts, music and have an orientation towards perfection. Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders, affecting an estimated 1 out of 45 per individuals according to parent survey. In India there are more than 10 million individuals with autism. Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than girls, and knows no racial, ethnic or social boundaries. As of now, there is no cure found for Autism, but with sincere effort, love and care these children can find a place in our society.

How is Autism different from Mental Retardation (M.R.)?

When a person has M.R. there is more or less an even impairment in skills across all areas of development. Therefore, if an M.R. child of 8 years has a mental age of 5 then all his skills would be roughly around 5 years (i.e. motor, communication, social, self-help, cognition etc.).
In Autism, there is uneven skill development - in fact this is the hallmark of autism. In some areas the child may show age-appropriate skills; in some the skills may be below the developmental level; and then again there are people with Autism who possess exceptional skills i.e. beyond their age level

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What causes Autism?

At this point in time we do not know what causes it. However, current research indicates that anything that can produce structural or functional damage to the central nervous system can also produce the condition of Autism. We know that certain viruses and known genetic conditions are associated with Autism. In addition, there are families that have more than one child with autism. At present, it is believed that about 10% of all cases can be accounted for genetically. It is difficult to tell parents why their child has autism.

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Can the child ever live an independent life?

Autism is a spectrum disorder. Currently there is no reliable objective measure of how severe the Autism is in an individual child. Children with Autism have potential for building up their skills and they can be helped if they receive early, well-focused intervention. Depending on the child’s individual skill profile and the appropriateness and intensity of intervention he or she receives, children with Autism can lead relatively independent lives.

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Is there a cure?

At this point we do not know what causes Autism and so cannot fix (cure) what is wrong in the child’s brain. Many therapies (medications, diets, etc.) are being tried but nothing is proven. The only thing that is found to help in all cases is an appropriate training program that is very specific to the child’s need. It is a life long condition but with appropriate intervention (training methods) the child can progress to his fullest potential.

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When and will my child ever speak?

A large member of autistic children (about 30-50%) do not use speech. It is very difficult to say when and whether the child will ever speak.
It is confirmed that there is no difficulty in their physical abilities that stops them from speaking. Some children who might have spoken as infants and then lost their speech may or may not get their speech back. Currently, it is unknown why some children develop speech and others do not. Experience with children with autism has shown that if the environment is accepting, and people are aware of the kind of speech they themselves need to use with the child, it can produce positive results.

Why autistic children are Hyperactive?

Hyperactivity can have a medical reason. However, most children with Autism are restless because of an impairment of their imaginative and social skills. They cannot play with their toys and other children meaningfully and find it very difficult to keep themselves occupied. Hyperactivity can be reduced as the children are taught new skills and ways to keep themselves occupied.

Why do they keep playing with his fingers/rocking himself back and forth/spinning around etc?

Children with Autism respond to sensations abnormally. They often have a condition known as sensory dysfunction this means either over or under stimulation in any one or more of the sensory modalities (hearing, sight, taste, touch, smell, balance). One theory is that these unusual mannerisms like flapping and rocking etc. are natural responses or methods of coping with sensory difficulties. These behaviours may help them to relax.