What is autism?
Although in some ways relieved to have a diagnosis and keen to commence an intervention program, Megan is clearly devastated because her 2.5 year old son Blake has just been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
Abstract
Autism is a developmental disability which affects behavior, communication and social interaction. Children with autism often appear to develop relatively normally until the age of 24-30 months, then parents begin to notice delays. Mild forms of autism may resemble a learning disability, while more severe forms can involve substantial impairment of communication, learning and social abilities, abnormal responses to sensory stimuli, and self-injurious behaviors. An individual with autism may have peak skills the ability to do one or more things exceptionally well. These skills manifest in areas such as mathematical computation, music, art or memory. Statistics show that out of every 10,000 children born, fifteen will be affected with autism. Boys are four times more likely to be affected than girls.