Autism is a severe disorder of brain function marked by problems with social contact,

intelligence and language, together with ritualistic or compulsive behavior and bizarre
responses to the environment.
Autism is a lifelong disorder that interferes with the ability to understand what is seen,
heard, and touched. This can cause profound problems in personal behavior and in the
ability to relate to others. A person with autism must learn how to communicate normally
and how to relate to people, objects and events. However, not all patients suffer the same
degree of impairment. There is a full spectrum of symptoms, which can range from mild
to severe.
Autism occurs in as many as one or two per 1,000 children. It is found four times more
often in boys (usually the first-born) and occurs around the world in all races and social
backgrounds. Autism usually is evident in the first three years of life, although in some
children it's hard to tell when the problem develops. Sometimes the condition isn't
diagnosed until the child enters school.
While a person with autism can have symptoms ranging from mild to severe, about 10%
have an extraordinary ability in one area, such as in mathematics, memory, music, or art.
Such children are known as "autistic savants" (formerly known as "idiot savants.").
Symptoms of autism usually appear during the first three years of childhood and continue
throughout life. Some common symptoms are:

• absence or impairment of imaginative and social play

• impaired ability to make friends with peers

• impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others

• stereotyped, repetitive, or unusual use of language

• restricted patterns of interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus

• apparently inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals

preoccupation with parts of objectsNo definitive treatment regimes have thus far been
developed for this serious disturbance and therapy is generally merely supportive. Some
attempts have been made to support such therapy with psychiatry and psychology, as well
as high doses of vitamin B6, vitamin E, and magnesium. Various psychoactive drugs have
also been tried, as well as a group of medications called H2 blockers. A "hugging
machine" has been built to support therapy by the holding method. This device makes it
possible for children with autism to overcome their fear of touch (tactile stimuli).
An alternative treatment approach has been attempted using secretin, which is a hormone
secreted by cells in the digestive tract to help control digestion. The history of the
application of secretin in the treatment of childhood autism dates back to 1996, when, by
coincidence, a significant improvement in mental condition was noticed in a child with
autism who had received secretin for diagnostic purposes. When it was administrated,
one of the chief symptoms of autism, the avoidance of eye contact, was 75% reduced.
Some additional children with autism also showed limited improvement after treatment
with secretin. On January 5, 2004, results of a clinical trial revealed that the hormone was
of little value in improving the socialization of young children with autism. Nevertheless,
many parents and physicians continue to advocate development of the drug and further
study.Causes & Symptoms
Although the exact causes of autism are unknown, many possibilities have been
proposed. Most experts believe that several independent factors contribute to
development of autism. The number and combinations of these factors probably differ
from person to person. Research points to such precipitating conditions as fetal alcohol
syndrome, genetic connections (as with identical twins), brain stem defects, lead
poisoning, a nervous system defect, infections, food and inhalant allergies, infant
vaccination reactions, and digestive system deficiencies