Autism: Understanding the ‘spectrum’

Overview

For people with autism, recognizing a smile or enjoying a touch is often not possible. More and more people, especially children, are being diagnosed with "autism spectrum disorder”, a complex neurological condition. Despite an increase in the number of people diagnosed with autism, many autistic people still remain undiagnosed. This is because autism is highly complex and can manifest in many different ways. Some of those affected can live lives similar to people without autism, while others require lifelong care. The causes of autism are also a mystery. Scientists around the world are working to find out why the brains of people on the autism spectrum develop differently. This would help medical practitioners to establish reliable methods of diagnosis and effective therapies.