| The autistic disorder is a life lasting neurological | | | | to train them into a talk. They talk incessantly about |
| disorder involving also the childhood disintegrative | | | | one particular subject and ignore the other attempts |
| disorder, Asperger disorder, Rett disorder and the | | | | of talking. |
| pervasive development disorder. Autism is registered | | | | Autistic patients require a life-long care and |
| as one of the five pervasive development disorders | | | | treatment as there is no actual cure for the disorder. |
| and is usually diagnosed around the age of three. | | | | If an early intervention is initiated, some of them |
| The most important pathological changes caused by | | | | may even be able to learn or function in a productive |
| autism are communication difficulties, impaired social | | | | way. The neurological disease called autism is known |
| interaction and restrictive activities; children with | | | | to affect 1-2 children in about 1000 births. Today, one |
| autism have generally repetitive activities and | | | | and a half million persons in the USA suffer from |
| interests and most of the other actions specific to | | | | different forms of autistic disorder. The disease |
| children their age represent no real interest to them. | | | | tends to affect four times more boys than girls, and |
| Children suffering from autism are more susceptive | | | | according to the latest studies the occurrence of |
| to developing epilepsy; they have different degrees | | | | autism has shown an about 10-17% increase every |
| of mental retardation and show abnormal responses | | | | year. |
| to different sensor stimulations like light or sound. | | | | The actual cause of autism has not yet been |
| Some of these patients show an aggressive behavior | | | | revealed but a disruption in the fetal brain during the |
| especially with self-injuring tendencies such as beating | | | | intra uterine development is believed to contribute to |
| themselves or head banging. | | | | the disorder. Patients seem to have problems in the |
| One third of the autistic children have proven an | | | | brain function but also abnormalities in several brain |
| almost normal IQ level for their age and many of | | | | sections. This abnormal brain changes may have been |
| them are even able to respond with own actions to | | | | triggered by viral infections, metabolic disorders, |
| the environment. Some of the patients can show | | | | environmental or genetic factors. Some of the risk |
| their own emotions and affection towards persons | | | | factors may have acted during pregnancy or during |
| around them; some of the sick persons can only be | | | | the child delivery. Also a group of genes believed to |
| measured as autistic like, with autistic tendencies or | | | | be involved in the apparition of autism has been |
| with an autism spectrum. The disease is normally | | | | detected. |
| cataloged as a high-functioning or a low-functioning | | | | Intensive scientific research is made to determine |
| autism. | | | | the exact role the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine |
| Children with a high function of autism show almost | | | | may have in the occurrence of autism. Cholesterol |
| normal behavior but may present language and | | | | seems to play an important role as many of the |
| interaction difficulties. They will initiate a conversation | | | | patients have low cholesterol levels in their blood. |
| favorite subject in spite of the effort the others do | | | | |