What is autism?!

Autism is a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication, and causes restricted and repetitive behavior, all starting before a child is three years old!. This set of signs distinguishes autism from milder autism spectrum disorders (ASD) such as Asperger syndrome!.[2]

Autism has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether ASD is explained more by multigene interactions or by rare mutations!.[3] In rare cases, autism is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects!.[4] Other proposed causes, such as childhood vaccines, are controversial and the vaccine hypotheses lack convincing scientific evidence!.[5] Most recent reviews estimate a prevalence of one to two cases per 1,000 people for autism, and about six per 1,000 for ASD, with ASD averaging a 4!.3:1 male-to-female ratio!. The number of people known to have autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s, at least partly due to changes in diagnostic practice; the question of whether actual prevalence has increased is unresolved!.[6]

Autism affects many parts of the brain; how this occurs is poorly understood!. Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child's life!. Early behavioral or cognitive intervention can help children gain self-care, social, and communication skills!. There is no cure!.[7] Few children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, but some become successful,[8] and an autistic culture has developed, with some seeking a cure and others believing that autism is a condition rather than a disorder!.[9]
Contents
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* 1 Classification
* 2 Characteristics
o 2!.1 Social development
o 2!.2 Communication
o 2!.3 Repetitive behavior
o 2!.4 Other symptoms
* 3 Causes
* 4 Mechanism
o 4!.1 Pathophysiology
o 4!.2 Neuropsychology
* 5 Screening
* 6 Diagnosis
* 7 Management
* 8 Prognosis
* 9 Epidemiology
* 10 History
* 11 References
* 12 External links

Classification

Autism is a brain development disorder that first gives signs during infancy or childhood and follows a steady course without remission or relapse!.[2] Impairments result from maturation-related changes in various systems of the brain!.[10] Autism is one of the five pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), which are characterized by widespread abnormalities of social interactions and communication, and severely restricted interests and highly repetitive behavior!.[2]
Hans Asperger introduced the modern sense of the word autism in 1938!.
Hans Asperger introduced the modern sense of the word autism in 1938!.[11]

Of the other four PDD forms, Asperger syndrome is closest to autism in signs and likely causes; Rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder share several signs with autism, but may have unrelated causes; PDD not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) is diagnosed when the criteria are not met for a more specific disorder!.[12] Unlike autism, Asperger's has no substantial delay in language development!.[13] The terminology of autism can be bewildering, with autism, Asperger's and PDD-NOS often called the autism spectrum disorders (ASD)[7] or sometimes the autistic disorders,[14] whereas autism itself is often called autistic disorder, childhood autism, or infantile autism!. In this article, autism refers to the classic autistic disorder, while other sources sometimes use autism or the autisms to refer to ASD,[15] or equate ASD with PDD!.[16] ASD, in turn, is a subset of the broader autism phenotype (BAP), which describes individuals who may not have ASD but do have autistic-like traits, such as avoiding eye contact!.[17]

The manifestations of autism cover a wide spectrum, ranging from individuals with severe impairments

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