Ever wonder why some people don’t make eye contact or shake your hand when meeting for the first time? Remember hearing a scratch on the chalk board and the annoying feeling assumes your entire body?
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication, as well as by unique strengths and differences. We now know that there is not one autism but many subtypes, most caused by a combination of genetic and environmental influences.
Autism occurrence figures continue to grow, statistics indicate that it is the fastest- growing serious developmental disability in the U.S. According to the CDC an estimated 1 in 59 children are on the autism spectrum disorder. The CDC’s estimate of autism prevalence is up 30 percent from reports in 2008, and more than double than the report in 2000. The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder continues to escalate, and at this time it is unclear whether this is due to better detection and reporting or a real increase in the number of cases, or a combination of both.
It costs a family over $60,000 a year on average, to care for an autistic child. Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less predominant childhood diseases. Currently there is no medical detection or cure for autism, and many families fight just to get through another day.
Causes
Given the complexity of the disorder, and the fact that symptoms and severity varies, theoretically autism is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental influences.
- Genetics. Several different genes appear to be involved in autism spectrum disorder. For some children, autism spectrum disorder can be associated with a genetic disorder, such as Rett syndrome or fragile X syndrome. For other children, genetic changes (mutations) may increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder. Still other genes may affect brain development or the way that brain cells communicate, or they may determine the severity of symptoms. Some genetic mutations seem to be inherited, while others occur spontaneously.
- Environmental factors. Researchers are currently exploring whether factors such as viral infections, medications or complications during pregnancy, or air pollutants play a role in triggering autism spectrum disorder.