Autism occurs in five out of 10,000 live births. The condition is four times more likely in boys than girls and knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries. Family income, lifestyle, and educational levels do not affect the chance of a child having autism. It is estimated that nearly 400,000 people in the United States today has some form of the condition.

One characteristic of autistic children is their failure to develop normal personal interactions. As infants, they are described as passive, making no demands on their parents. They are often quiet and develop little interest in others. There is no eye contact or smiles. When held by their parents, they become rigid or flaccid. These youngsters have no interest in normal age-appropriate activities, prefer to spend time alone, and do not seek out other children for play.

A second characteristic of affected children is a severe communication disorder. Speech develops slowly or not at all. Parents wonder if the child understands what is said and the youngster is unable to follow simple directions, questions or commands. Many autistic children can not participate in a two way conversation. Some affected youngsters repeat words or phrases and imitate over and over again what someone else has said.

A third characteristic of autistic children is a variety of abnormal behaviors. The child may head bang, bite themselves, or have strange reactions to physical sensations such as being too sensitive to touch or unresponsive to pain. Other behaviors can be tied to routines. For example, giving the child a bath may only be accomplished after a specific amount of water has filled the tub, the temperature is exact, the soap is in its proper location, and the towel is the usual place. Any break in the routine can cause the child to have a tantrum. If left alone, the autistic child can sit for hours turning a light switch on and off, twirl a spinning toy, or stack blocks.

Researchers still have not reached a consensus regarding the cause of autism. It is generally felt that the condition is the result of sensory nervous system dysfunction caused by a number of unknown factors. Sometimes, an underlying brain disease can be identified. Examples include maternal infections during pregnancy (rubella, cytomegalovirus, and toxoplasmosis), phenylketonuria (an inherited disorder of metabolism), lack of oxygen at birth, meningitis and encephalitis, lead poisoning, and certain genetic disorders).

Parents who suspect autism in their child should ask their pediatrician or family physician to refer them to a child neurologist or a developmental specialist. Since many symptoms associated with autism are shared by other medical disorders, a specialist may complete various tests to rule out other possible causes. There are, however, no medical tests for diagnosing autism.

Unfortunately, there is also no cure for autism, although claims of a cure are constantly presented to parents of affected youngsters. Because all children with autism are different, no one approach is effective in alleviating symptoms of autism in all cases. The only treatment approach that is effective is an educational program that is appropriate for that child's development and level of performance. Autistic children must be taught how to talk and interact with others. This is not a simple task, and involves the entire family and many health care professionals. The various therapies employed are behavior modifications, speech/language therapy, sensory integration, music therapy, auditory training, medications and diet.

A generation ago, 90% of autistic children were placed in institutions. Today, because of individualized services and programs, even the most severely disabled child can be taught skills to allow them to develop to their fullest potential. The symbol for the national parent support group, the Autism Society of America, is a picture of a child embedded in a puzzle. Most of the puzzle pieces are on the table. After fifty years, we are just beginning to figure out how they fit together.

Autism Checklist¹

 Children with autism usually exhibit at least half of the traits listed below.

• Difficulty in mixing with other children
• Inappropriate laughing and giggling
• Apparent insensitivity to pain
• Prefers to be alone
• Inappropriate attachment to objects
• Insistence on sameness; resists change in routine
• No real fear of dangers
• Sustained odd play
• Echolalia (repeating words or phrases for normal language)
• May not want cuddling or act cuddly
• Not responsible to verbal cues; acts as deaf
• Difficulty in expressing needs; uses gestures or pointing instead of words.
• Displays extreme distress for no apparent reason
• Uneven gross/fine motor skills (May not kick a ball but can stack blocks)