Abstact
Autism is a neurodevelopmental
disorder. It presents in infancy, but is usually not officially diagnosed until
a child is between the ages 3 and 6. The disorder has a variety of symptoms
that include dysfunctions in social behavior, language, and cognitive
development. There is not a clear understanding of what causes autism, although
some forms of autism are believed to be genetic. Other purported causes of
autism are: emotional trauma and certain vaccinations containing Mercury. In
the past decade there has been a considerable increase in the amount of people
diagnosed with autism. This paper explores reasons behind this increase as well
as potential causes of autism.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that results from abnormalities
in the brain as well as abnormalities in the way the brain develops. These
abnormalities are often caused by either heredity or are associated with a
biological cause. Autism can occur by itself or in conjunction with other
disorders, such as mental retardation, blindness, deafness, and epilepsy
(Powers 3). There are many varying degrees of autism and the symptoms of the
disorder are different in each person; however, there are some fundamental
similarities that most people with autism share.
