I do not think in language. All of my thoughts are like videotapes words are my second language. Some 40 million people in the world are autistic and, although it is thought to have been around for centuries, the numbers are said to be rising. This may, however, be because of better diagnosis. Males are up to four times more likely to suffer from the condition than females.
Possible causes are genetic, viral or metabolic, with triggers including German measles.
It is also linked to epilepsy and there may be an association between difficult labor and autism.