Autism--Need for Awareness.

A is a neuro-developmental disorder characterized by qualitative abnormalities in social interactions, markedly aberrant communication skills, and restricted repetit ive behaviors, interests, and activit ies. Diagnostic criteria Under DSM-IV-TR require that symptoms become apparent before the child is 3 year old. However, autism is not a single disorder, but a spectrum of c losely related disorders with a shared core of symptoms. The signs and symptoms of autism vary widely, and so do its effects. Classic autism, or autistic disorder, is the most severe of the autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Milder variants are Asperger’s Syndrome, and PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified), or atypical autism. The word “autism,” has been in use for about 100 years. It comes from the Greek word “autos,” meaning “self.” The term describes conditions in which a person is removed from social interaction -hence, an isolated self. Eugene Bleuler, a Swiss psychiatrist, was the first person to use the term around 1911. He started using it to refer to a group of symptoms of schizophrenia that mean morbid admirat ion and withdrawal into se l f . In 1940 , Leo Kranner and Hans Asperger pioneered autism research. Kranner described children who were severely affected Autism Need for Awareness