Autism is a lifelong developmental disorder that affects people’s behavior in many areas.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autistic people may have difficulties with social, emotional, and communication skills.
Others find bright lights or loud noises overwhelming and stressful, or exhibit repetitive behaviors.
Autism is not a disease or condition.
How often does it happen?
It is estimated that around 700,000 people, both adults and children, in the UK have an autism diagnosis.
According to a 2021 study from Newcastle University, approximately one in 57 (1.76 percent) children in the UK has an autism spectrum disorder.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 5.4 million adults, about 2.2 percent of the population, have autism.
People of all nationalities and from different cultural, religious and social backgrounds can have autism.
However, in men and boys the risk is up to five times higher.
The exact reason is still unclear, but some research suggests that boys are at greater risk for the various genetic causes of autism.
Researchers also believe that many girls ‘go undetected’ because they struggle to get a diagnosis, are not diagnosed until later in life, or are misdiagnosed with a condition other than autism.
Are there different types?
Historically, autism has been classified into several diagnoses, including Asperger syndrome, autistic disorder, Kanner syndrome, childhood autism, atypical autism, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).
Because each diagnosis showed features of autism, they were replaced by autism spectrum disorder, which is now the umbrella term for the group.
Yet there are people diagnosed with Asperger’s who still use the term.
According to the National Autistic Society, people with Asperger’s do not have the learning difficulties that many autistic people have. The NHS says some people call this ‘high-functioning autism’.
What causes it?
Despite years of research, scientists still don’t know what causes autism.
Research has shown that the disease may be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
In the late 1990s, concerns arose about a possible link between the MMR vaccine and autism.
But countless scientific studies have since shown that there is no link at all between vaccines – or their ingredients – and autism.
Bad parenting is not a cause either.