What is Autism ?
Emerging in early childhood, autism is a developmental disorder that affects one in every 166 babies. Its symptoms appear usually within the first three years, and involve the person’s ability to communicate. Children with autism often have difficulty in forming friendships or relating to the people around them; they may have difficulty to express affection or enjoy the warmth of being huggedi. Other common signs are poor development of language skills, lack of responsiveness and an inclination to withdraw socially.
Autism falls within a broader range of disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Of the three main types, Autistic disorder is the most severe and Asperger syndrome the least. When a child has symptoms falling somewhere in between, he is diagnosed with PDD-NOS or Pervasive Developmental Disorders Not Otherwise Specified. Two rare and very severe forms exist as well, known as Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, affecting about 1 in every 100,000 children and Rett Syndrome, affecting 1 in 10-15,000 children (mostly girls)ii.
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