Every 21 minutes another child is diagnosed with autism. 

According to information released April 11, 2006 by the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS), the number of professionally diagnosed cases of full syndrome DSM IV (click here for definition) autism in California's developmental services system has, for the first time in its 37 year history, exceeded 30,000 persons.....nearly 80% are children under the age of 17.

In 1987 there were less than 2,800 cases statewide; today there are 30,181. During the latest reporting period between January 4, 2006 and April 4, 2006, DDS reports that an additional 757 new cases were added to the system--nearly nine new children a day, seven days a week. This does NOT include persons with any other autism spectrum disorder such as PDD, PDD-NOS, or Asperger's Syndrome.

So what is autism?

Autism Spectrum include the following diagnostic categories:

• - Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD)
• - Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
• - Autism
• - Atypical Autism
• - Asperger's Syndrome (AS)
• - High Functioning Autism (HFA)

Autism Spectrum Disorders:

• - Are disorders that may have multiple causes, occur early in life and are expected to last the lifetime of the individual.

• - Are syndromes, a collection of characteristics, and not just one or two differences from typically developing children.
• - Occur in both males and females, although more common in males.
• - Are pervasive, affecting all or most areas of the person's functioning regardless of whether the individual is very intelligent or has cognitive impairment.
• - Are neurobiological, affecting the physical brain and brain chemistry.
• - Affect the individual's ability to communicate using speech or language; speech may be delayed or the quality of verbal skills may be affected.
• - Affect the individual's ability to communicate using unspoken language such as gestures, facial expressions, body language or other non-verbal communication.
• - Affect the individual's ability to understand and respond to the verbal and non-verbal communication of others.
• - May cause the individual to have difficulty in making and keeping friends and sustaining typical social relationships at any age, despite the fact that he/she may want to do so.
• - May cause the individual to be particularly sensitive or unusual in responding to stimulation through touch, smell, taste, hearing or sight (sensory information).
• - May cause the individual to have difficulty making sense of sensory information and keeping themselves under control.
• - May result in uneven development of learning and skills, so that people with ASD may be very good at some skills while finding other areas very difficult.
• - May cause individuals to develop or learn skills in some areas on their own timeline and not necessarily according to the expected calendar of development or milestones.
• - Are increasing in incidence and occur in all races and in all cultural, social, and economic groups in all parts of the world.
• - Are apparent by an early age, with unusual differences first noted from several months old to age three.
• - Can occur in conjunction with any other condition, disorder, or disability such as deafness, attention deficit disorder, Down syndrome, cognitive disabilities, blindness, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, etc. 
•  

ASD is NOT:

• - A mental illness.

• - A behavior disorder.
• - An emotional disturbance.
• - Caused by parents or as the result of parental behavior.

Reprinted with permission from:  Doyle, Barbara T., M.S. and Iland, Emily Doyle, B.A. (2004). Autism Spectrum Disorders from A to Z.  www.asdatoz.com