Health Topics for Child Health and Development

UI Children's Hospital

UI Family Care Centers

Divisions Within the Department of Pediatrics

Iowa Registry for Congenital and Inherited Disorders

Autism

Autism is a developmental disability that usually appears during the first 3 years of life. It is estimated that 2 to 6 in 1,000 individuals may have autism. It is 3 to 4 times more common in boys than girls and is closely related to several other developmental disabilities.

The cause of autism is unknown. Current research links autism to biological or neurological differences in the brain. Genetics may be related to the disorder, although at this time no gene has been directly linked to autism.

Autism varies greatly from person to person. There are certain behaviors that define autism, but children and adults may have any combination of these behaviors in any degree of severity.

Many infants may show signs and symptoms of autism very early in life. These signs and symptoms include:

arching their back away from their caregiver to avoid physical contact

remaining limp when being picked up

rocking and/or banging their head against the crib

avoiding eye-to-eye contact

indifferent to feelings of others and

being either very passive or overly agitated (Babies with autism are quiet most of the time, making very few demands on their caregiver. However, some may be overly agitated and may cry a great deal during waking hours.)

Some toddlers may talk, crawl, and walk, sometimes earlier than the average child, while others are very delayed. Some autistic people go through puberty without any problems, while about 25 percent may start having seizures or more frequent behavior problems.

An autistic child's behavior may be very different than what is considered normal for a child in the same age range. They may be overactive or very passive. In play, they do not imitate others actions or initiate pretend games. One common characteristic is the insistence on sameness. They may be insistent on eating the same food, or wearing certain clothing all the time. They have difficulty with changes in routine because of this.

Communication is often a problem for autistic people since their language skills may develop very slowly. They may often use gestures instead of words, and seem to have a short attention span.

They often prefer to spend time alone rather than with others, and do not try to make friends. They usually do not respond to social clues such as eye contact or smiles.

Many autistic people have problems with one or more of their senses. They may be less or more sensitive than normal. For instance, they may hear sounds that normal people cannot hear, or they may appear not to hear some sounds. Some autistic people avoid all physical contact with others, while some seem to crave deep pressure, like tight hugs.

The symptoms of autism are very similar to those in other conditions. For this reason it is important to have a child evaluated by a pediatrician or child psychiatrist as soon as unusual behaviors are observed. Many of the symptoms of autism can be successfully treated. Early intervention shows very positive outcomes for young children with autism. Some of these treatments include behavior modification, diet therapy, medication, music therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech/language therapy, and vision therapy.

In the past, many autistic people were put in an institution. Today, only the very severely affected live in an institution. Others may live with their parents, live in residential facilities, semi-independently, or some may even live independently.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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