A rare gene mutation or chromosome issue is likely to be the sole cause of about 2% to 4% of people with autism. This tends to happen in conditions that also affect other parts of the body, like with mutations in the ADNP gene. With ADNP syndrome, a person will show signs of autism as well as have specific facial features.
Autism
States’ developmental disability services lacking for autistic adults and their families . Many autistic people advocate for taking a more active role in their own support services. A growing body of evidence shows that access to autistic peers can positively benefit an autistic person’s life. Therapists can introduce autistic people to methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy. This may help with challenges that may be more particular to ASD, such as having rigid thoughts. Therapy may take place either individually or in a group or family setting. There may be some similarities between ASD and other disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , but the signs and symptoms of ASD vary from person to person.
Varying support needs
Some children show signs of autism spectrum disorder in early infancy, such as reduced eye contact, lack of response to their name or indifference to caregivers. Other children may develop normally for the first few months or years of life, but then suddenly become withdrawn or aggressive or lose language skills they’ve already acquired. Autism spectrum disorder is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication.
Children are routinely checked specifically for autism at their 18-month and 24-month checkups. Diagnosing ASD in adults is often more difficult than diagnosing ASD in children. In adults, some ASD symptoms can overlap with symptoms of other mental health disorders, such as anxiety disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder . Autism spectrum disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. Although autism can be diagnosed at any age, it is described as a “developmental disorder” because symptoms generally appear in the first 2 years of life. Some people with ASD have a known difference, such as a genetic condition.
Read more about Autism here.
In May 2014, the Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly adopted a resolution entitledComprehensive and coordinated efforts for the management of autism spectrum disorders, which was supported by more than 60 countries. Your doctor might use this term if your child has some autistic behavior, like delays in social and communications skills, but doesn’t fit into another category. Movies and books featuring characters with autism have helped bring autism spectrum disorder into the public consciousness. Some have ignited controversy; others have increased the public’s general understanding of autism. At ARI, we hope that people will rely on evidence-based research to understand autism spectrum disorder better.