Autism is a brain development disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old.[1] The autism spectrum disorders (ASD) also include the related conditions Asperger syndrome and PDD-NOS, which have fewer signs and symptoms.[2]
Autism has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether ASD is explained more by multigene interactions or by rare mutations.[3] In rare cases, autism is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects.[4] Controversies surround other proposed environmental causes, such as heavy metals, pesticides or childhood vaccines;[5] the vaccine hypotheses are biologically implausible and lack convincing scientific evidence.[6] The prevalence of ASD is about 6 per 1,000 people, with about four times as many males as females. The number of people known to have autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s, partly due to changes in diagnostic practice; the question of whether actual prevalence has increased is unresolved.[7]
Autism affects many parts of the brain; how this occurs is not understood. Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child's life. Although early behavioral or cognitive intervention can help children gain self-care, social, and communication skills, there is no known cure.[8] Not many children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, though some become successful,[9] and an autistic culture has developed, with some seeking a cure and others believing autism should be tolerated as a difference and not treated as a disorder.[10]
Well, kinda.
Now I'm looking at an article from The Economist.
I'm just going to answer what happens to the brain.
"The question of how the autistic brain differs physically from that of neurotypicals was addressed by Manuel Casanova of the University of Louisville, in Kentucky. Dr Casanova has spent many years dissecting both. His conclusion is that the main difference is in the structure of the small columns of nerve cells that are packed together to form the cerecral cortex. The cortical columns of those on the autistic spectrum are narrower than those of neurotypicals, and their cells are organized differently.
The upshot of these differences is that the columns in an autistic brain seem to be more connected than normal with their close neighbors, and less connected with their distant ones. Though it is an interpretative stretch, that pattern of connection might reduce a person's ability to generalize (since disparate data are less easily integrated) and increase his ability to concentrate (by drawing together similar inputs)."
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The EconomistThe Economist Article
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