Autism

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disability that cannot be diagnosed by any specific biological or medical test. It is organic rather than genetic, developing during the prenatal period. Autism is characterized by a triad of symptoms that include difficulties in social interaction with others, problems communicating with others, and patterns of restrictive, repetitive, and stereotypical interests and activities that are evident before the age of 3. The disorder popularly referred to as autism generally describes the most common form of autism. There is a group of other disabilities of varying severity that are also classified as autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Diagnoses of autism are based in large part on observation. In its most common form, autism is apparent in infancy. In other forms, it may surface after months or even years of apparently normal development. Chromosomal/DNA testing may be useful, particularly if autism occurs along with other disorders such as Fragile X, Angelman syndrome, Wil-liam's syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, Landau-Kleffner syndrome, or fetal alcohol syndrome.

Approximately 35 percent of children included in autism studies have been diagnosed with epilepsy or [Page 187]unusual electrical discharges in the brain. The likelihood of seizures increases as individuals reach adolescence and adulthood and may indicate a lower life expectancy. The ratio of males to females in autistic diagnoses is 4.3:1. Early research centered on school-age children, but tests have now been developed that can identify autistic tendencies in infants. Early identification and therapy are important for optimal development of autistic children.

In February 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, announced in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that between 2004 and 2007, the prevalence of autism in the American population rose from 1 in 166 to 1 in 150. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the global prevalence of autism at 2 to 6 in 1,000. Although diagnosis and treatment of autism is common in industrialized nations, autism is not always understood in developing countries. Without the assistance of international organizations such as WHO and the Global Autism Project, many families in developing countries would be on their own.

According to popular belief, many individuals with autism have superior intelligence; the term idiot savant is well established in popular culture, in part because of the Oscar-winning film Rain Man (1988), in which Dustin Hoffman played savant Raymond Babbitt. Most studies do not support the theory of superior ability across the spectrum of autism disorders. According to one study of 51 children, 10 percent of the sample tested in the normal range, while only one exhibited superior intelligence. Other studies have revealed that while from one-third to one-half of autistic children demonstrate average or above-average intelligence, the remainder fall into the mentally dysfunctional range. Those with the highest levels of intelligence are often diagnosed with “high-functioning autism.”

While individuals with autism develop varying levels of abilities, they will have the disorder for the rest of their lives. In addition to autism, disorders classified under the umbrella of autism spectrum disorders include Asperger's syndrome, pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified (PDDNOS), childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD), and Rett syndrome. All of these conditions are classified as pervasive development disorders (PDD) by both the American Psychiatric Association and WHO, and all are indicative of abnormalities in social interaction and language or in symbolic imaginative play before the age of 3. Since 1951, the American Psychiatric Association has used its own system, DSM-IV-TR, to classify disorders according to distinct differences in behavior and learning patterns. At the global level, the International Diagnostic System of Mental and Behavior Disorders (ICD-10) is used to identify similar disorders.

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