Autism what exactly is it?

I just read an interesting book about a family whose 2 children were diagnosed with infantile autism at around 18 months.. With a combination of 2 intensive therapies they apparently recovered..

It was a good book, interesting but from what little I know of autism I didn't think it had a 'cure' as such..

Even though I read this book I still don't really have a full understanding of what autism actually is.. I thought maybe someone on here who has 1st hand experience with it could give me an answer? I am just curious as it seems everyone has heard of it but no one can explain it...

Well, I haven't had a child with it, although I have looked after children with it.

Essentially, autism is a disorder whereby children (and adults) are unable to read or react to the normal social cues that are present in communication between individuals. They are often withdrawn or inappropriate in their communications for this reason. It is a "spectrum" disorder in that it affects different children differently, where some might be midly autistic and have some interpersonal problems but overall can function in society, to children whose inability to communicate is significant enough that it impairs their normal social and intellectual development, to those who are so affected by the disorder that they become withdrawn from the outside world.

Hi, my son has Aspergers which is a form of autism - here is the run down of what autism is from the Autism QLD website. Each family will experience autism differently which does make it hard for people to understand. Also although there is no "cure" there are therapies which help children to adjust and learn to function in society - or rather learn to adjust their behavious so that society perceives them as "normal" even though in their head/mind they still understand the world differntly.

What is Autism?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which includes Autism and Aspergers syndrome, is a neuro-biological disorder that affects:

* The way a person communicates
* Socialises with others
* Processes information from his/her senses
* Adapts to his/her environment.

These deficits often lead to behaviours such as:

* Rigid adherence to routines
* Fixations on objects or topics
* Withdrawal
* Aggression
* Bizarre or repetitive body movements.

ASD can have a profound and complicated impact on the most apparently simple everyday activities. ASD affects:

* People of all intellectual abilities from those with a profound intellectual disability to people who are more able and, in some cases, gifted
* Approximately four boys to every girl
* At least one person in every 250.


The cause is not fully understood. There is, as yet, no cure. Emphasis is on providing individualised, highly structured therapy and treatment.

There is no cure, but some (and I stress some) can be helped with a mix of diet, detoxing, supplements and therapies.