Definition

Autism is a severe disorder of brain function. It is marked by problems with social contact, intelligence, and use of language. People who suffer from autism usually exhibit behaviors that are repeated over and over again in very standard patterns.

Description

Autism is a lifelong disorder. It interferes with a person's ability to understand what he or she sees, hears, and touches. For this reason, a person with autism has very difficult problems knowing how to behave properly and how to interact with other people. The person has to be taught behaviors that develop normally in most people. Autism varies in its degree of severity among individuals. The disease has a full range of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe.

Autism occurs in about 1 out of every 1,000 children. It is found four times more often in boys than in girls. It occurs everywhere in the world among...