Forum: Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism is a complex neurological disorder affecting individuals in the areas of social interaction, repetitive stereotyped behavior and communication. It often shows up in the first three years of life, often becoming more apparent in a child from 18-36 months of age. Currently there is no known cause that has been found though there are a large number of potential causes from genetic to environmental. Autism and its related disorders affect individuals in every country and region of the world and knows no racial, ethnic nor economic boundaries. Autism is referred to as a spectrum disorder - meaning the symptoms can occur in any combination and with varying degrees of severity. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can also be referred interchangeably with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) as both are terms for the spectrum that encompass the following disorders: Autism Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, Rett’s Syndrome, Child Disintegrative Disorder and PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified aka "Atypical Autism".)