Autism

What is autism?	Autism is a condition that affects how a person communicates and interacts with others.
When does it start?	Autism usually starts showing in early childhood.
How common is it?	About 1 in 100 people worldwide have autism.
How is it helped?	Therapies like talking, playing, and learning new skills can help people with autism.

Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a condition that changes how a person talks, plays with others, and sees the world. People with autism might find it hard to understand feelings or follow new routines. They might focus a lot on one thing or do the same actions over and over. These signs are often seen when a child is very young and stay for life.

Autism is called a neurodevelopmental disorder because it is about how the brain grows. A doctor can tell if someone has autism by checking how these signs affect their daily life. Since autism is a spectrum, people with it are all different. Some need just a little help, while others need more support all the time.

More people are being diagnosed with autism now than before. This is because doctors have learned more about it, people know more about it, and more people can get checked. The World Health Organization says about 1 in 100 children have been diagnosed. Boys are diagnosed more often than girls, maybe because girls can hide their signs better. Genes play a big role in autism, and things before birth might also matter.

There is no cure for autism. Therapy can help people with autism learn skills like taking care of themselves and talking with others. It is important to make life easier for them in education, jobs, and everyday things. Some medicines can help with worries or mood, but they do not change autism itself.

The neurodiversity idea says that autism is a natural way the brain can work. This thought, supported by the autism rights movement, is talked about a lot, but not everyone agrees.

Signs and characteristics

A young autistic boy who has arranged his toys in a row

Autism, also called autism spectrum disorder (ASD), includes differences in how people communicate and interact with others, a strong liking for routines, and how they experience senses. It also includes focused interests or repeating certain actions. These signs are often seen when children are very young and usually stay into adulthood. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder, which means it changes how the brain grows and works.

People with autism might have trouble understanding social hints, reading faces, or joining in normal play. They may also have special ways of acting or doing things, like repeating motions, loving certain topics, or reacting strongly to sounds or textures. These actions can help them feel better or stay focused. Even though autism can be hard sometimes, it also helps people develop special skills and interests.

Causes

Main article: Causes of autism

Hundreds of different genes are implicated in the likelihood of being autistic, most of which influence the brain structure in a similar way.

We do not fully know why someone has autism. Genetics seems to be a big part of it. Autism does not come from just one thing. Many different things might work together. These can include genes, things that happen during pregnancy or just after birth, and things in our environment. Scientists are still learning more.

Autism often runs in families. This shows that genes are important. Many genes might be involved. These genes can affect how the brain grows and connects. This can influence how we sense the world and interact with others. Even though autism can be linked to family genes, many people with autism do not have other family members who are autistic. This shows that other things also matter.

Mechanism

The exact cause of autism is not fully understood. Research suggests it involves a mix of genetic and environmental factors. Most people with autism have differences in how their brains develop and process information. This can affect how they communicate, interact with others, and handle sensory input. These differences are present from early childhood and usually continue throughout a person's life.

Diagnosis

Main article: Diagnosis of autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Before 2013, autism had different names, but now all types are called autism spectrum disorder. This change helps us understand that people with autism can have very different experiences.

Doctors use special rules to diagnose autism. These rules look at how a person's social skills and behaviors affect their daily life. They also check for other conditions, like language difficulties, that might influence these skills. This helps make sure the diagnosis is right and useful for helping the person.

ICD-11 classification of autism spectrum disorder
	with mild or no impairment of functional language	with impaired functional language	with complete, or almost complete, absence of functional language
without Disorder of Intellectual Development	6A02.0	6A02.3
with Disorder of Intellectual Development	6A02.1	6A02.4	6A02.5

Management

An autistic boy works with a behavioral therapist to identify different letters of the alphabet as part of a language therapy program.

There is no cure for autism. From the perspective of neurodiversity, trying to "cure" autism may not be the right goal.

Therapies can help autistic children and are usually designed for their needs. The main goals of therapy are to make life easier and to improve quality of life and independence. Different kinds of help, like learning, talking, and building skills, may be used to teach important life skills. Therapy also tries to help with difficult behaviors and to focus on strengths. Medicines may help with some problems, like feeling upset, but they do not change the core features of autism.

Prognosis

The future for people with autism after they are diagnosed as children is not completely known. Some signs of autism stay the same, while others might change a little over time. Most children diagnosed before age 6 still show autism traits one year later. Adults with autism often have trouble finding jobs and may need more help with their mental health. About 85% of autistic adults need help with living on their own. However, those who learn to speak before age six, have an IQ above 50, and have useful job skills are more likely to live independently.

Factors that affect the future for autistic individuals include mental health issues and social challenges like unemployment and feeling lonely. Autistic people may also face more bullying and other harmful treatments. Studies show that autistic individuals experience depression more often than others. It's important to note that tools to measure thoughts about harming oneself need special adjustment for autistic people to be accurate.

Epidemiology

Main article: Epidemiology of autism

Most experts think that things like race, ethnicity, and economic status don’t strongly affect how often autism happens.

Autistic people are more likely than others to be LGBTQ, and they are also more likely to not follow a specific religion.

Co-occurring conditions

Main article: Conditions comorbid to autism

Some health issues happen more often with autism. These can make life harder. Common examples include:

ADHD, seen in many autistic people.
Epilepsy, occurring in some autistic people.
Intellectual disabilities, affecting many autistic people.
Anxiety disorders, which happen in some autistic people.
Depression, which affects some autistic people.
Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), in some autistic people.
Genetic conditions like Prader–Willi, Angelman, Fragile X, or 16p11.2 deletion syndrome affect some autistic people.
Gastrointestinal problems such as constipation and stomach pain are also more common.
Sleep issues like trouble falling asleep affect many autistic children.
Motor skills challenges, such as dyspraxia, are frequent.

Prevalence

World Health Organization data suggest that some children were autistic between 2012 and 2021. In the United States, some children were diagnosed with autism in 2022. Numbers have risen since the 1990s because of better awareness and access to diagnosis.

Sex ratio

Boys are more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls. This may be because autistic girls show fewer obvious signs and are harder to diagnose.

History

In 1911, a doctor named Paul Eugen Bleuler created the term "autism." He used it to describe adults with schizophrenia who pulled back from the world and focused only on their own thoughts. The word comes from the Greek "autos," meaning "self."

Later, another doctor named Grunya Sukhareva studied boys who loved music and had strong interests in abstract ideas. She noticed they often kept to themselves and avoided other children. She called this an "autistic attitude." Her observations were similar to what we now understand about autism spectrum disorder.

Society and culture

Main article: Societal and cultural aspects of autism

The autistic rights and neurodiversity movements want people to see autism as a natural difference, not something that needs fixing. Many in these movements believe autism should be accepted and supported in society. Events like World Autism Awareness Day, Autism Sunday, and Autistic Pride Day celebrate and bring attention to autism.

Some well-known people, like environmental activist Greta Thunberg and Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, have talked about how their autism helps them focus and make a difference. However, autistic individuals can face unfair treatment in school, work, and social places. This can sometimes lead to feeling left out or social exclusion.