General: National Autism Awareness Month

April is National Autism Awareness Month. What is Autism? Autism is a complex developmental disease that affects an estimated two to six people per thousand, in the United States. The causes are unknown, and symptoms range from almost non-existent to very severe.

Autism affects the development of the brain early in a child's life. The regions of the brain known to be affected by autism are the areas that deal with communication skills and social interactions. Autism is one of the five major Pervasive Developmental Disorders, which are categorized together because they are all neurological disorders in which there are "severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development."

According to the Autism Society of America it is estimated that at lease 1.5 million Americans have some type of autism. The number is expected to grow larger in the future.

The number of people who have autism rises 10-17% per year. In the next decade, about four million people will be affected.

Autism isn't just an American disease. Autism is consistent around the world. People aren't more prone to autism because of race, religion, life styles, or anything of that sort. The only thing that scientists have found is that autism affects four times more males than females.

No one knows for sure what causes autism, but there are many theories. Just recently it was proven that autism is not caused by Mercury, which was previously believed.

Other theories are more complex. Some scientists believe that abnormalities on Chromosome 7 could have something to do with it.

Many theories relate to chromosomes. Another theory has to do with a mother being exposed to toxic chemicals while pregnant. There is no medical evidence to back up these theories, however, but more research is being done everyday.

The reason that no one knows the cause is that Autism is so complex.

People with autism don't all act the same. The symptoms range on a broad spectrum. There are general symptoms for autism, but most people with autism have only a few.

Most characteristics show up around the age of three. Some characteristics include not accepting change, major tantrums, difficulty communicating with others, noticeable over-activity or under-activity, no fears, no sense of danger, uneven gross and motor skills, not responsive to verbal cues even when hearing is normal, little or no eye contact, unusual attachments with objects, and using gestures more than words.

Again, some people have hardly any of these characteristics while others can have all of them.

There are many ways that people can take a stand against autism.

Donating money is a way to help, and on the internet there are many autism foundations. However, there are other ways to help, too. You could participate in a race for Autism. You could be a volunteer for a foundation. The possibilities are endless.

Some web sites to check out are: www.canfoundation.org, www.naar.org, www.autism.com, www.autism-society.org and www.autism.org.