Autism is a rare, severe developmental disorder that begins before four years of age. The condition appears as a group of symptoms, the most notable of which is an inability to relate socially to other people. True autism is also called early infantile autism or infantile autism, occurs in about 1child every 700. Boys are more commonly affected than girls. There is no known cure for this condition. The terms autistic or autsticlike is sometimes used to describe people with severe emotional problems that resemble autism. Many people associate with autism only with children. However, the disorder hinders an individual's social and emotional development throughout life.
Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child's life. The signs usually develop gradually, but some autistic children first develop more normally and then regress. Early behavioural or cognitive intervention can help autistic children gain self-care, social, and communication skills. Although there is no known cure, there have been reported cases of children who recovered. Not many children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, though some become successful. An autistic culture has developed, with some individuals seeking a cure and others believing autism should be accepted as a difference and not treated as a disorder.
Asperger Syndrome is different from other disorders on the autism spectrum, in part, because it is often diagnosed in older children and adults as opposed to very young children. That's because Asperger Syndrome is a relatively mild form of ASD which does not include problems with basic language skills. Many people with Asperger Syndrome are very bright and capable. The issues that emerge for people diagnosed with Asperger are related specifically to social and communication skills -- skills that only become signficant as people get older and need to negotiate complex social situations.
