Autism Overview

Some Facts About Autism

Autism is a brain disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate, reason, and to interact with others. It is a spectrum disorder that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees of severity, and can be found in combination with other disabilities.

The term ‘autism’ and ‘autism spectrum disorder’ are often used interchangeably and refer to three of five disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). The three ‘autism spectrum disorders’ are: Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, and PDD-NOS (not otherwise specified). •

Autism effects approximately 1 in 150 children and is four times more likely to occur in boys.

For more facts about autism and current statistics, please visit: www.cdc.gov/ncbdd/autism/

Red Flags of Autism (from www.autismspeaks.org):

• No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
• No back and forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter
• No babbling by 12 months
• No back and forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months
• No words by 16 months
• No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
• Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age

Other useful websites that cover early warning signs include;
www.firstsigns.org