Almost 1 in every 166 children in the Unites States, roughly equivalent to about 1.5 million Americans, will develop some form of autism. This number is actually quite surprising, certainly when considering the fact that, in the seventies, estimates were that just a few in every 10.000 births would develop some form of the disorder.

Some say that this rise is due to changes in diagnostic practice, meaning that there are not more people suffering from autism, but the disorder is more effectively diagnosed. On the other hand, there are others that claim that there is indeed a real rise in the prevalence of autism, caused by environmental factors, such as heavy metals or pesticides. Nevertheless, at present his rapid rise in incidence is a mystery waiting to be solved.

Signs and Symptoms

Autism is often characterized by communication difficulties, delayed development of language understanding and use, impaired social skills and narrow, almost obsessive interests or repetitive behaviors. All this results in a high degree of social and mental isolation of the affected individuals.

Even though there is no cure at present, children suffering from the disorder often respond well to a very structured environment, specialized education and language intervention programs. In general the rule ‘the earlier the intervention, the better the outcome’ seems to apply to most patients. Few of the children with autism will become independent after reaching adulthood, though some do and can become even quite successful. Of course, this depends on the severity of the symptoms.

Diagnosis, the Brain and Genetics

Currently, autism is diagnosed on the basis of behavioral symptoms. New research has shown that data obtained through brain imaging techniques appears to be 95 percent accurate in identifying how brains of individuals affected with autism differ from those of typically developing young children.

Furthermore, research has indicated that several genetic factors significantly contribute to the development of the disorder. Future success in identifying these so-called ‘vulnerability’ genes for autism may allow scientists to develop an improved technique that can be used for diagnosis, which combines the detection of behavioral indicators with biological abnormalities to better identify infants and toddlers at risk of developing autism.

Further Research

A clear understanding of the biological abnormalities that somehow alter brain development in autism could guide the formulation of new potential therapies that might be able to target the disorder on a molecular level. These research efforts will also mean that health-care practitioners will be better armed with the necessary tools for early diagnosis and more effective interventions.