Autism is a disorder that is usually first diagnosed in early childhood. The main signs and symptoms of autism involve communication, social interactions and repetitive behaviors.
Children with autism might have problems talking with you, or they might not look you in the eye when you talk to them. They may have to line up their pencils before they can pay attention, or they may say the same sentence again and again to calm themselves down. They may flap their arms to tell you they are happy, or they might hurt themselves to tell you they are not. Some people with autism never learn how to talk.
Because people with autism can have very different features or symptoms, health care providers think of autism as a "spectrum" disorder. Asperger syndrome is a milder version of the disorder.
The cause of autism is not known. Autism lasts throughout a person's lifetime. There is no cure, but treatment can help. Treatments include behavior and communication therapies and medicines to control symptoms.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
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Autism
(National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Also available in Spanish
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Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs)
(National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
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Autism Spectrum Disorders (Pervasive Developmental Disorders)
(National
Institute of Mental Health)
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Overviews
- Autism(National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities)
- Autism(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Autism
(National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) -
Short Summary -
Autism Overview: What We Know
(National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development) -
Links to PDF
Also available in Spanish
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Pervasive Developmental Disorders
(National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) -
Short Summary
- Correction: Older Parents More Likely to Have an Autistic Child(04/03/2007, Reuters Health)
- First U.S. Online Autism Registry Begins(04/03/2007, HealthDay)
- Baby's Poor Response to Name Might Warn of Autism(04/03/2007, HealthDay)
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Tiny, Spontaneous Gene Mutations May Boost Autism Risk
(03/15/2007,
National Institute of Mental Health) -
Largest-Ever Search for Autism Genes Reveals New Clues
(02/18/2007,
National Institute of Mental Health) -
Largest-Ever Search for Autism Genes Reveals New Clues
(02/18/2007,
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- CDC Releases New Data on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs)(02/08/2007, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- More News on Autism
- Defining Autism(Autism Society of America)
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Diagnosing & Evaluating Autism: Part 1(Center
for Autism & Related Disabilities) -
Links to PDF
Also available in Spanish
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Diagnosing & Evaluating Autism: Part 2(Center
for Autism & Related Disabilities) -
Links to PDF
Also available in Spanish
- Diagnosis and Consultation(Autism Society of America)
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Learn the Signs. Act Early(National Center on
Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities)
Also available in Spanish
- Autism: Education(Autism Society of America)
- Autism: Treatment(Autism Society of America)
- Behavioral Intervention for Children with Autism(Cleveland Clinic Foundation)
- Learning Approaches(Autism Society of America)
- Positive Behavior Support (PBS)(Center for Autism & Related Disabilities) - Links to PDF
- Understanding Autism: Occupational Therapy(American Occupational Therapy Association)
- Living with Autism(Autism Society of America)
- FDA Approves the First Drug to Treat Irritability Associated with Autism, Risperdal(Food and Drug Administration)
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Autism and Communication
(National
Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)
Also available in Spanish
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Autism and the MMR Vaccine
(National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
Also available in Spanish
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Choosing Professionals & Coordinating Services(Center
for Autism & Related Disabilities) -
Links to PDF
Also available in Spanish
- Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)(Nemours Foundation)
- Living with Autism: Safety in the Home(Autism Society of America)
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Vaccines and Autism Theory(Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention)
Also available in Spanish
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Autistic Disorder
(National
Institutes of Health)
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Autism and Genes
(National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development) -
Links to PDF
Also available in Spanish
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Autism Research at the NICHD
(National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
- Beyond Social Awkwardness: Problems with "Reading" Faces?(American Academy of Neurology)
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Gene Linked to Autism in Families with More Than One Affected Child
(National
Institute of Mental Health) -
NICHD Autism Research
(National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
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Researchers Gain Insight into Why Brain Areas Fail to Work Together
in Autism
(National
Institutes of Health) -
Study Provides Evidence That Autism Affects Functioning of Entire
Brain
(National
Institutes of Health)
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: First drug to treat irritability associated with autism.
- Article: CDC: autism spectrum disorders common.
- Article: Autism: the difficult hunt for disease genes.
- Autism -- see more articles
- Find a Chapter(Autism Society of America)
- Autism Society of America
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National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
Also available in Spanish
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National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
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National Institute of Mental Health
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
- Autism Facts and Statistics(Autism Society of America)
- Prevalence of the Autism Spectrum Disorders in Multiple Areas of the United States(National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities)
- Autism(Nemours Foundation)
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Quest(National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities)
- Living with Autism: Sibling Issues(Autism Society of America)
- Pervasive Developmental Disorders(Nemours Foundation)
- Understanding Autism(Nemours Foundation)
- Autism(Nemours Foundation)


