A report from the Centers for Disease Control suggests autism is more common than previously thought. More children were diagnosed with autism this past year than with AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined. It affects boys significantly more than girls, about three to four times more. Parents are sometimes confused about what autism is, and how to recognize it.
Autism is a brain dysfunction that appears in the first few years of life. It's a physical condition linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain. But how these abnormalities surface in young minds remains a mystery. A great deal of public and private resources are currently devoted to finding a cause to this terrible disease, as well as an effective treatment.
Many children who develop autism have no symptoms whatsoever until age 2 or 3. In fact, some children develop normally and actually regress in their behavior and language. If you notice your child has lost any language skills at any age, have him or her examined by a doctor who specializes in diagnosing autism.
Parents should be aware of certain milestones that their child should be marking, and if are not doing so, should be seen by a doctor who specializes in diagnosing autism. These milestones are:
• Babbling by 12 months
• Gesturing (pointing, waving bye-bye) by 12 months
• Saying single words by 16 months
• Saying two-word spontaneous phrases by 24 months (not just echoing)
Parents with children who are, or might be, autistic suffer greatly and need all the help they can get. Thank God there are a number of wonderful resources where parents can get all the information and emotional support they need.
One of those resources is the website, Autisable.com which is part of the Xanga.com Network of blogging community sites. The Xanga Network reaches over 4 million people globally each month. Autisable's Twitter account is ranked 7th on Klout in terms of influence about the topic of Autism and ranks even higher for those with Aspergers.
Autisable.com connects to at least 20 other resources. This website gives families facing autism strength by reinforcing the fact that they are not alone. There are millions of families dealing with Autism and the bond they form with one another through sharing is truly an answered prayer.
Currently there is no known cause of autism. Researchers now say it is probably the result of a combination of factors. Genetic factors seem to be important, but those are not specific enough to predict autism at this point.