Symptoms: Symptoms of ASD are impaired social interaction, problems communicating, and repetitive behaviors or interests. The key sign of autism is impaired social interaction. Children with autism often do not respond when called by name, avoid eye contact with others, ignore social cues, engage in repetitive movements (such as rocking), and have narrow interests. These symptoms range from mild to disabling, and can improve with treatment.

Cause: ASD is a hereditary condition that is four times more common in boys than girls. It may be caused by a genetic error, which results in malformation of the brain during the early stages of fetal development. A family history of the condition increases the risk of developing ASD.

Diagnosis: Physicians use questionnaires to screen a child for autism. If the child displays certain signs of the condition, specialists perform a thorough evaluation of the child’s cognitive and language skills. Children are diagnosed with autism when they display 6 of the 12 signs of ASD by age 3 (impairment in the areas of communication, social interaction, and behavior). While symptoms typically emerge in infancy and early childhood (between the ages of 1 and 3), only 50% of children are properly diagnosed with the condition before kindergarten.

Treatment: Early detection and intervention can significantly reduce the symptoms of ASD. Treatments include a combination of medications, psychological counseling, and behavioral, speech, and occupational therapy.

Myth: In the past, 75% of children with autism were thought to have mental retardation, due to their low IQ scores. In truth, many ASD patients have average intelligence, but perform poorly on these standard tests because of their language and communication impairments.

Support Groups:
The Little Rock Foundation Family Resource Room
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia 1st Fl
34th St & Civic Center Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Tel: 1 (800) TRY CHOP
Website: www.chop.edu
Email: hughess@email.chop.edu