Autism usually strikes during the first three years of a child s life. Parents often tell of a normal talkative child who suddenly seems to disappear before their eyes. The cause of autism is unknown. Autism is a spectrum disorder where symptoms and characteristics can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe and in any combination. A high functioning individual with autism might simply seem eccentric, a loner.
Most individuals fall in the middle of the spectrum.
It is the third most common developmental disorder. It is four times more common in boys than girls. Autism has a long history of neglect by medical science. But for the first time the National Institute of Health is allocating research dollars to study autism and attract new scientists to investigate the disorder. One of the most exciting and rapidly advancing areas of study is genetic research.