Autism is a neurological disorder.
It affects normal development and usually becomes apparent before the age of three. Autism occurs in approximately fifteen out of every 10,000 births and is four times more common in boys than girls. There are about 500,000 children and adults in the UK with autism and allied disorders. It has been found throughout the world in families of all racial, ethnic and social backgrounds. Research has shown that autism is caused by the brain functioning in an abnormal way.