| Autism has affected more than 1.5
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| | play and social interaction. A child's
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| children in the USA. It is a lifelong
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| | ability in these three areas is impaired.
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| condition for which there is no cure.
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| | The severity varies from individual to
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| What is Autism?
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| | individual.
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| Autism is a disorder caused in children
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| | One of the prime symptoms of autism is
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| during the first three years of their
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| | impaired social interaction. A child
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| life. Autism is essentially a brain
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| | suffering from autism fails to respond to
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| disorder. It affects the normal
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| | his name. The child avoids looking at
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| functioning of the brain. Autism is
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| | other people and their activities. A
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| characterized by a disability in a
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| | child would remain passive to various
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| child's verbal and non-verbal
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| | tones of voice. He would remain blank
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| communication. A child with autism
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| | about facial expressions and would not
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| suffers from mental retardation,
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| | react to emotions of people. He is
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| stereotyped activities and impaired
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| | completely oblivious of what others feel
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| learning. The child also suffers from
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| | for him, and what impact he is leaving on
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| restrained social interactions and
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| | people.
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| pursuits of individualistic interests and
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| | A child suffering from autism tends to
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| hobbies.
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| | engage himself in repetitive activities
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| What causes Autism?
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| | like biting, rocking, hair twirling and
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| Despite the fact that autism is such a
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| | even head banging. Autistic children
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| life impairing disorder, researchers have
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| | refer to themselves by their names
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| not detected its common cause. Several
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| | instead of 'I' or 'me'. They also tend to
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| studies indicate that it is caused due to
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| | speak quite late compared to other
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| abnormalities in the brain's structure
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| | children.
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| and working. This fact has been supported
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| | An autistic child shows unusual responses
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| by various brain scan comparisons. The
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| | towards touch, sound or any other sensory
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| comparisons showed that an autistic
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| | stimulation. He might show decreased
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| child's brain shape and structure differs
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| | reaction and sensitivity towards injury
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| from that of a normal child.
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| | or pain. He might react against being
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| Genes are also considered as a cause of
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| | cuddled and other activities.
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| autism. Genetics play an important role
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| | A child suffering from autism shows
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| in a person's lifestyle and behavior. A
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| | impaired learning. He finds it difficult
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| child can suffer from autism if he has a
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| | to adjust himself to a daily give and
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| family history of autism or other
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| | take routine. He would avoid making eye
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| disabilities. 1 out of every 500 children
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| | contact with almost everyone. He spends
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| is believed to develop autism on a
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| | his time in solitude and offers
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| genetic basis. Even if one child in the
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| | resistance to being kissed and hugged. He
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| family suffers from autism, the chances
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| | doesn't even react in the absence of
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| of autism increase in the other children
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| | parents. He tends to takes longer time in
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| up to 20 percent.
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| | interpreting and understanding things.
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| Prenatal infection with viruses such as
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| | As they grow, autistic children can
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| cytomegalovirus (CMV) and rubella can
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| | become aggressive and show a tendency to
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| also result in the development of autism
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| | harm others. They become increasingly
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| in a child. If the pregnant mother has
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| | frustrated and may even harm themselves.
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| not built up immunity against this virus,
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| | Children might also develop a condition
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| it can cause autism in the new-born
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| | known as echolalia. In this condition
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| child.
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| | they only learn things by parroting what
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| Autism can also develop in individuals
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| | they hear.
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| suffering from medical conditions like
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| | A child suffering from autism also
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| Fragile X syndrome, tuberous sclerosis
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| | suffers from a lack of creativity. He
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| and undiagnosed phenylketonuria (PKU).
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| | might simply gaze at a new object or toy,
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| Developmental brain abnormalities like
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| | or hold it. He would not play or
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| macrocephaly, cerebral dysgenesis and
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| | experiment with it, like normal children.
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| microcephaly can also cause autism.
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| | Treatment
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| Neurological disorders like bacterial
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| | There is no specific medication that can
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| meningitis and lead encephalopathy which
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| | be given in the treatment of autism.
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| are acquired after the birth can also
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| | Treatment differs according to the
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| lead to autism.
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| | severity of the impairment in a child. If
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| Features of a child suffering from autism
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| | you feel your child displays signs of
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| Autism is known to affect three prime
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| | autism a specialist should be consulted
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| areas of a child's life- verbal and
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| | immediately for diagnosis and also to
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| non-verbal communication, creative mind
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| | suggest what treatment can be given.
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