Reviewed by Joseph Maloney, MDAutism is a developmental disease that usually strikes young children. It is labeled a “pervasive developmental disorder,” and it affects the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Autism can be either mild or severe.
The three areas affected by autism are:
- Social interaction: the autistic patient is aloof and doesn’t pay attention to other people
- Repetitive actions: the autistic patient repeats one action over and over; for example, lining up blocks, spinning, or tearing paper.
- Language: the autistic patient doesn’t talk, or language development lags behind normal.
No two cases of autism are exactly alike. How severe a patient’s autism is depends on how early they developed it, how long they’ve had it, and the severity of the infection causing it.
Autism has traditionally been viewed as a developmental disorder. Recent studies have investigated a link between autism and genetics. There is also evidence that autism can be caused by infection, yeast, bacteria, or viruses. These infections release toxins which affect the brain and nervous system.
