| Recent studies, which have been a major topic | | | | mundane things. |
| on TV shows such as Good Morning America and | | | | |
| the Today Show, that autism is more prevalent | | | | Some of the signs and symptoms of autism |
| than was previously thought. One estimate | | | | would include the following: |
| indicated that approximately 1 in every 150 | | | | |
| children have autism to some degree, and the | | | | * Autistic people frequently have poor |
| majority of those are undiagnosed. | | | | language skills and therefore frequently have |
| | | | great problems in speaking and interacting |
| You need to be aware that autism, also known | | | | verbally. |
| as Autistic Spectrum Disorder, and the milder | | | | |
| form of it, Asperger's Syndrome, is not | | | | * Autistic people do not like to be touched |
| necessarily limited to children. This can | | | | or hugged. Even though a hug is usually seen |
| affect people of any age, and many older | | | | as a sign of affection from someone who |
| people who have been diagnosed with autism | | | | cares, people afflicted with autism are very |
| have had the affliction since they were | | | | uncomfortable with a hug or being touched by |
| children, but were simply never diagnosed | | | | another person. |
| with it. | | | | |
| | | | * Autistic people have difficulty making |
| People who are afflicted with autism show | | | | direct eye contact with another person and |
| definite signs and symptoms of the | | | | will frequently go out of their way to avoid |
| affliction. One of the keys to accurate | | | | direct eye contact. |
| diagnosis is to note the presence of these | | | | |
| symptoms and to note whether the symptom was | | | | * Autistic people frequently do not enjoy |
| an isolated incident or whether the symptom | | | | being in a group setting with others, but |
| shows itself over and over again. For | | | | prefer to be alone in their own world. |
| example, one of the signs of autism is that | | | | |
| the affected person seems to live within | | | | * Autistic people frequently have high |
| their own world, they have clear problems | | | | sensitivity to bright light and loud noises, |
| with social interactions and in fact seem to | | | | while at the same time exhibit a |
| reject any interaction with another person. | | | | significantly reduced sensitivity to pain. |
| Some people may say that that symptom would | | | | |
| also apply to almost any computer geek, but | | | | * Autistic people can focus for hours at a |
| in all seriousness, this is just one symptom | | | | time on a single object, with concentration |
| of many possible ones, and it is not a | | | | so intense that they may not even react to |
| laughing matter. | | | | outside stimuli, like someone calling their |
| | | | name. |
| While there is not a "cure" for autism in | | | | |
| the same sense that taking aspirin will | | | | One of the biggest problems in detecting |
| "cure" a headache, early diagnosis of autism | | | | autism is that there is not a specific |
| is critical to being able to help the | | | | pattern that can be traced or noted. But if |
| afflicted person cope with it and to minimize | | | | you see your child consistently exhibiting |
| the effects of autism over the long term of | | | | one or more of the symptoms listed above, it |
| that person's life. Special teaching skills | | | | would be a good idea to schedule a checkout |
| and methods are required to properly teach | | | | with a trained professional who can perform |
| and train someone affected with autism, so | | | | additional tests to make an accurate |
| that they can more readily learn how to exist | | | | diagnosis. |
| in today's world. If left untreated and | | | | |
| undiagnosed, most autistic people cannot live | | | | Jon is a computer engineer who maintains web |
| by themselves because they frequently do not | | | | sites on a variety of topics based on his |
| have a good sense of what is right versus | | | | knowledge and experience. |
| what is wrong, even concerning everyday | | | | |