Some children are very disabled with low levels of functioning. Others have superior intelligence with very high levels of skills in certain areas. Causes The exact causes of autism have not yet been fully established. It is, however, evident from research that autism can be caused by a variety of conditions affecting brain development, which occur before, during or after birth. Recent research indicates that genetic causes are very important, though the sites of the relevant genes have not been identified.
Autism affects more males than females.
The reason for this is unknown but these ratio differences between males and females are helping researchers in their investigations into the causes of autistic spectrum disorders. The right kind of education and care programmes are essential. They make a real difference to the child's life, enabling each individual, whatever their level of disability, to achieve as great a degree of independence as possible. There are no drugs as yet that can affect the basic impairments underlying the autistic spectrum disorders but medication can help accompanying problems such as self-injuring behaviour, seizures, depression, anxiety, hyperactivity or challenging behaviour. The question of how many people have autistic spectrum disorders is one of the most frequently asked questions and one of the most difficult to answer.