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AUTISM is a severely incapacitating lifelong developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. It occurs in approximately fifteen out of every 10,000 births and is four times more common in boys than girls. It has been found throughout the world in families of all racial, ethnic and social backgrounds. No known factors in the psychological environment of a child have been shown to cause autism. Autism occurs by itself or in association with other disorders which affect the function of the brain such as viral infections, metabolic disturbances, and epilepsy. It is important to distinguish autism from retardation or mental disorders since diagnostic confusion may result in referral to inappropriate and ineffective treatment techniques. The severe form of the syndrome may include extreme self-injurious, repetitive, highly unusual and aggressive behavior.
Some specific theories as to the cause of autistic symptoms:
- Yeast infections.
- Intolerance to specific food substances. (see below)
- Gluten intolerance ("Leaky Gut Syndrome"/Casein intolerance causing intestinal permeability and allowing improperly digested peptides to enter the bloodstream and cross the blood-brain barrier which may mimic neurotransmitters and result in the scrambling of sensory input. I've also heard "Leaky Gut Syndrome" described as lack of the beneficial bacteria that aids digestion, and that the resulting matter in the bloodstream invokes an unnecessary immune reaction.
- Phenolsulphertransferase (PST) deficiency--theory that some with autism are low on sulphate or an enzyme that uses this This means that they will be unable to get rid of amines and phenolic compounds once they no longer have any use for them. These then stay in their body and may cause adverse effects, even in the brain.
- Brain injury.
- Constitutional vulnerability.
- Developmental aphasia.
- Deficits in the reticular activating system.
- An unfortunate interplay between psychogenic and neurodevelopmental factors.
- Structural cerebellar changes.
- Genetic causes.
- Viral causes.
- Immunological ties
- Vaccines.
- Seizures.
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the word "autism" derives from the Greek word "autos," meaning self. The name arose because of the sufferer's profound difficulty in communicating with others. But in the years since it was first identified (in 1943) by child psychiatrist Leo Kanner, MD, autism has come to be seen as a "spectrum disorder" -- that is, a disease that can range from mild to severe.
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