Autism - What is it?

Key points about autism

• If your child has autism, they may not learn to speak at the usual age. And they may have problems communicating in other ways too.
• Also, your child may not be interested in other people. And he or she may have set ways of behaving and may do the same activity over and over again.
• Usually, these signs show up before your child is 3 years old.
• We don't know what causes autism. But it's linked to how your child's brain works. It's not caused by anything you as a parent might have done.
• About 6 in 1,000 children have an autistic spectrum disorder. That means they have autism or a related condition. Some children have only mild symptoms and some have bad symptoms.
• There isn't any cure for autism. Your child will always have it. But getting treatment early on can help make a difference to your child's life.[1]
• There hasn't been much good research on which treatment works best.

How children develop

Children change in many ways as they get older. They grow physically. For example, they put on weight and get taller and stronger.

But they grow in other important ways too. They learn how to speak, smile and get on with people in other ways, such as playing. Doctors call all of these changes development.

These changes normally happen by specific ages. So you may hear them called developmental milestones. A milestone is just a way to tell how far you have come.

Doctors watch for milestones to tell if your child is developing properly. You can watch for them too. If you are worried about autism, here are some to watch for.[2] [3] [4] [5]

• By the age of 2 months, most babies smile.
• By 9 months, most follow your finger if you point to something.
• By 1 year, most babble and point to things they want.
• By 2 years, most can speak phrases of two words on their own (not copying you) and can play pretend.

But children don't always follow this pattern exactly. Also, they can be slow to reach certain milestones but not others. Ask your doctor if you think your child is falling behind in any way.

Skills like speaking, smiling and getting on are controlled by your child's brain. It gets bigger and forms new pathways as your child gets older.

What happens in autism?

With autism, your child's brain doesn't work as it should.[1] This affects how your child develops in many ways. So doctors call autism a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD for short).

On the outside, children with autism usually grow and look like other children. But they don't develop the skills they need to get on well with others or to keep up in school.

With autism, your child usually has problems with speaking. And they may not like being touched in any way, such as cuddling. Also, they may behave in odd ways. For example, your child may do the same activity over and over. Or they may follow the same routine all the time.

Sometimes, children with autism are very good at a certain skill or subject, such as maths, technical drawing or music. That's because they can focus very hard on just one thing. This is linked to their autism. But it is rare.

Autism affects different children in different ways. Some children never learn to speak and need help all their lives. Other children can learn the skills they need to live on their own.

Autism belongs to a group of similar conditions. Doctors call this group autistic spectrum disorder. The group also includes a condition called Asperger syndrome. For more, see Autistic spectrum disorder.

On these pages, we are looking at autism itself.

Why my child?

If your child has autism, you may worry that something you did caused it. But nothing you have done as a parent could have caused your child's autism.

In fact, in most cases, doctors don't know the exact cause of autism.[6] All we know is that the brains of children with autism work in a different way.[1]

Researchers have looked at many factors to see if they are linked to autism. Some of them are listed below.