These behaviors may persist and be difficult to change. Autism can occur by itself or in association with other disorders such as mental retardation, learning disabilities, epilepsy, etc. Autism is best considered as a disability on a continuum from mild to severe. The number of handicaps and degree of mental retardation will determine the location on that continuum. It is important to distinguish Autism from mental retardation or other disorders since diagnostic confusion may result in referral to inappropriate and ineffective treatment techniques.
Autism is one of the four major developmental disabilities.
Autism occurs in five to ten of every 10,000 births. Roughly twenty children are diagnosed with Autism each year in Manitoba, adding to the approx-imately 750 people with Autism in Manitoba. Autism is distributed throughout the world among all races, nationalities, and social classes. Four of every five people with Autism are male. Individuals with Autism have extreme difficulty in learning language and social skills and in relating to people.