Studies suggest that ASD could be a result of disruptions in normal brain growth very early in development. These disruptions may be the result of defects in genes that control brain development and regulate how brain cells communicate with each other. Autism is more common in children born prematurely.
Four social brain regions, the amygdala, OFC, TPC, and insula, are disrupted in ASD and supporting evidence is summarized; these constitute the proposed common pathogenic mechanism of ASD. Symptomatology is then addressed: widespread ASD symptoms can be explained as direct effects of disrupted social brain regions.
Autism and brain injury share many similar symptoms. Both cause people problems with social behavior and communication, and both can make the person more prone to emotional outbursts. But because autism and TBI affect the brain in similar ways, the interventions used for one may also benefit the other.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. Some people with ASD have a known difference, such as a genetic condition. Other causes are not yet known.
Can a person with autism spectrum disorder live an independent adult life? The simple answer to this question is yes, a person with autism spectrum disorder can live independently as an adult.
Adults who have not received appropriate treatment may have trouble living independently, may be unemployed, and may struggle with relationships. Autism can also impact physical and mental health, according to the 2017 National Autism Indicators Report: Developmental Disability Services and Outcomes in Adulthood.
The study found that the average death of an autistic person was age 54, while their matched controls had an average death age of 70 (Bazian 2016). That means, on average, autistic people are dying 16 years earlier than the general population.
Autism is not an illness
It means your brain works in a different way from other people. It's something you're born with. Signs of autism might be noticed when you're very young, or not until you're older. If you're autistic, you're autistic your whole life.
The team found that mothers passed only half of their structural variants on to their autistic children—a frequency that would be expected by chance alone—suggesting that variants inherited from mothers were not associated with autism. But surprisingly, fathers did pass on substantially more than 50% of their variants.
High levels of stress during pregnancy may also be connected to autism in children. This connection appears to have the most impact when the parent experiences stress between weeks 25 and 28 of pregnancy.
About 1 in 44 children are diagnosed with autism by the time they are 8 years old. Researchers say MRI scans can identify differences in the brains of fetuses that could be early indicators that a child will be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Compared with controls, people with autism have a slightly thinner temporal cortex, a large region associated with processing sounds and speech. They also have a thick frontal cortex, which governs complex social and cognitive processes.
In the autistic brain, the brain reduced connectivity, known as hypoconnectivity, allows weakly connected regions to drift apart, with sulci forming between them.” Research has shown the deeper theses sulcal pits are, the more language production is affected.
This difference fades between ages 10 and 15, as brain volume in controls increases. After this period, controls continue to show gains in brain volume until their mid-20s, whereas the brains of people with autism begin shrinking.
From 1966 to 1998, studies found that about only one-fifth of the people with ASD functioned in the "normal range" of intelligence, according to a 1999 review. But years later, in 2014, a U.S. study found that almost half of the children with ASD had average or above average intelligence, that is, an IQ score above 85.
"Because the brain of a child with autism develops more slowly during this critical period of life, these children may have an especially difficult time struggling to establish personal identity, develop social interactions and refine emotional skills," Hua said.
Autism is likely to have multiple genes responsible rather than a single gene. However, it is not caused by emotional deprivation or the way a person has been brought up. There is no link between autism and vaccines.
Autism is a disability under the ADA. Some adults and children with autism can access Social Security benefits, including disability benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Inherited by either or both parents:
A dominant trait may be inherited by one parent (or both), and each parent can or may not add it to the part of their DNA with which their child inherits.
Can An Autistic Child Become Normal? Yes, some children with autism become more engaged with the world and show fewer disturbances in their behavior as they mature. In fact, those with the least severe problems eventually might lead normal or near-normal lives.
For now, we don't know the exact cause of autism however research suggests it's a combination of developmental, genetic and environmental factors.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. Although autism can be diagnosed at any age, it is described as a “developmental disorder” because symptoms generally appear in the first two years of life.
As a group, children with ASDs appear to be taller than their unaffected siblings. Children with Asperger's Syndrome and Autism, specifically, appear taller than those with PDD-NOS who, in turn, do not differ from unaffected siblings in height.
If someone in your family has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), you may be more likely to have a child with ASD. ASD can look very different from person to person, so taking a careful family health history can be important for early diagnosis.