Autism is a devastating neurological and biological disorder typically affecting children between the ages of 18 months to five years of age. Autism affects each individual differently and at different levels of severity. Some individuals with autism are severely affected, cannot speak, require constant one on one care, and are never able to live on their own. While others are less severe, can communicate, and eventually acquire the necessary skills to live on their own.

1. Communication (verbal and non verbal)
2. Social skills
3. Behaviors
4. Learning

Autism is a full spectrum of problems that extends from the profoundly impacted child who rocks and bangs their head to the child who has minimal difficulty and may only be perceived as having a learning disorder or an oppositional personality. More and more we are coming to understand that autism is not so much a psychiatric behavioral disorder, but, instead, an inflammatory disorder. We now know that the impact of environment on a susceptible individual creates tremendous stress on the human system impacting biochemistry (especially sulfur metabolism, methylation, and transulfuration), immune function and gut permeability, to name a few. The impact on these systems allows "downstream" impact on the nervous system and shows itself as what we commonly understand to be "negative behaviors" and "learning difficulties". What we are finding, with more and more success, is that when a child with an inflammatory disorder has healing of the affected systems, the negative behaviors tend to improve and recovery begins.

People diagnosed with autism process, respond, and interact with information in different ways. In some cases, individuals with autism may not be able to speak, may have self stimulatory behaviors (such as hand flapping, vocal utterances, repetitive behaviors), may be aggressive or be self-injurious. Each individual with autism is affected differently. But like with all people - not all individuals with autism are alike. In fact, very few autistics have the exact same issues. Very few individuals with autism are affected with all the issues specified below.

• Scatter/splinter skills of abilities – such as poor gross motor or fine motor skills and the ability to read at a very young age
• Oversensitive or under sensitive to pain
• Desire for the same daily schedule, toys, type of clothes or an insistent on “sameness”
• Repeating words, phrases in place of typical language or conversation (This is known as echolalia)
• Much difficulty expressing needs – they may use pointing, gestures versus words, or tantrums
• Finding situations funny or laughing at times when it is inappropriate (i.e. laughing at a baby crying.)
• Activity is noticeably under active or over active
• Excessive or Frequent tantrums
• Can be aggressive or self injurious
• Prefers to be alone – may have social skills deficits
• Autistics can act deaf or be non responsive to verbal cues
• Odd play such as; spinning objects, or using toys for something besides there their intended purpose or using an odd attraction to an item that is inappropriate for age
• Non existent or poor eye contact
• Non responsive to typical teaching methods
• May respond negatively to crowds or not able to mix well with others
• Difficulty with holding a conversation
• May not like hugs, or to be cuddled.
• Sensitivity to loud noises, tags in clothes, coarse clothing, lights, and smells
• Frequently uses peripheral vision to track items (e.g., rolling car along countertop at eye-level)
• Highly self-limited diet (narrow down foods they’ll eat to a very limited few items when previously a broader range was accepted (e.g., bread, chicken nuggets, cheese, milk, and crackers – period.)
• A high amount of severe food allergies
• History of chronic ear infections as an infant
• Severe gastro-intestinal issues / chronic loose and/or foul-smelling stools.
• Lack of imaginative play or imitation.

Many of the above traits can occur in neurotypical individuals as well. However, the more symptoms from this list that apply (at least eight or more,) the possibility of autism might be considered and discussed with your child’s physician or a qualified pediatric neurologist.

Medical and behavioral treatments are available to individuals affected with autism. With early intervention (via both traditional therapies and medical intervention unique to the individual,) the future can be very bright for many affected with autism. However, we know very little about what causes autism and how to prevent it. Urgent medical research is required to help solve the mystery of autism and in finding the cure.

People with autism can be a little autistic or very autistic. It is possible to be bright, verbal, and autistic as well as mentally retarded, non-verbal and autistic. A disorder that includes such a broad range of symptoms is often called a spectrum disorder; hence the term "autism spectrum disorder" or ASD. The most significant shared symptom is difficulty with social communication poor eye contact, difficulty holding a conversation, seeming inability to take another's perspective.

Asperger Syndrome or AS is considered to be a part of the autism spectrum. The only significant difference between AS and High Functioning Autism is that people with AS usually develop speech right on time while people with autism usually have speech delays. People with AS are generally very bright and verbal, but have significant social deficits, which is why AS has earned the nickname "Geek Syndrome".

If you've seen Rainman or a TV show about autism, you may think you know what autism "looks like." In fact, though, when you've met one person with with autism you've met ONE person with autism. Some people with autism are chatty; others are silent. Many have sensory issues, gastrointestinal problems, sleep difficulties and other medical problems. Others may have social-communication delays - and that's it.

So far as medical science is aware, there is at present no cure for autism. That's not to say that people with autism don't improve, because many improve radically. But even when people with autism increase their skills, they are still autistic, which means they think and perceive differently from most people. Children with autism may receive many types of treatments. Treatments may be biomedical, sensory, behavioral, developmental or even arts-based. Depending upon the child, certain treatments will be more successful than others.

You may have seen or heard news stories about possible causes of autism. Theories range from mercury in infant vaccines to genetics to the age of the parents to almost everything else. At present, most researchers think autism is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors - and it's quite possible that different people's symptoms have different causes.

Autism is a lifelong diagnosis. For some people, often, but not always, those who receive intensive early intervention, symptoms may decrease radically. People with autism can also learn coping skills to help them manage their difficulties and even build on their unique strengths. But a person with autism will probably be autistic throughout their lives.

Even "high functioning" autism is challenging for parents. "Low functioning" autism can be overwhelming to the entire family. Families may be under a great deal of stress, and they need all the non-judgmental help they can get from friends, extended family, and service providers. Respite care (someone else taking care of the person with autism while other family members take a break) can be a marriage and/or family-saver!

You may have heard of a wonderful "autism school," or read of a child doing amazingly well in a particular type of classroom setting. While any given setting may be perfect for any given child, every child with autism has unique needs. Even in an ideal world, "including" a child with autism in a typical class may not be the best choice. Decisions about autistic education are generally made by a team made up of parents, teachers, administrators and therapists who know the child well.

The media is full of stories about autism, and many of those stories are less than accurate. For example, you may have heard that people with autism are cold and unfeeling, or that people with autism never marry or hold productive jobs. Since every person with autism is different, however, such "always" and "never" statements simply don't hold water. To understand a person with autism, it's a good idea to spend some time getting to know him or her - personally!

It may seem that autism is a wholly negative diagnosis. But almost everyone on the autism spectrum has a great to deal to offer the world. People with autism are among the most forthright, non-judgmental, passionate people you'll ever meet. They are also ideal candidates for many types of careers.