Autism is a highly complex neurodevelopment disorder.

While it affects about one in

every 68 people, every single autistic person has their own set of symptoms, challenges
and strengths. These complexities have stretched autism out to a whole spectrum.
Although this condition mostly affects the brain, people with autism have actually been
shown to have issues with their gastrointestinal system, predominantly the stomach and
the bowel. Autism generally starts to show in children between 12 and 24 months, even
though it is congenital (meaning it is present at birth). Because there is a spectrum for
autism, symptoms can vary. With classic autism, the most prominent symptoms
include repetition of many things including phrases and actions, a need for routine or
structure, preoccupation with certain topics and a delay in, or lack of, learning to
communicate verbally. As many as 40% of autistic people never learn to speak. Many
people with autism also have symptoms that are similar to ADHD, but the symptoms are
more severe. Other conditions that co-occur with autism can include Fragile X
syndrome, epilepsy and Tourette syndrome. Although autism is generally not noticeable
solely based on appearance, autistic people generally have wider eyes and broader
mouths as seen in Figure 1.
An exact cause has not been identified yet, but autism has been correlated to
differences in the brains structure. There are many theories, including some about
genetics. When scientists try to pinpoint genes that are linked to autism, they are
scattered. It has been found that 20 out of 23 chromosomes have regions that may be
important for autism. Because there are so many possible chromosomes, it is much
more difficult to find a cause. This is called a polygenic, epistatic model. Epigenetic
mutations can also sometimes lead to autism. This has been proven by Fragile X

syndrome, a single gene disorder that overlaps with autism. Research has also been
shown to link autism to 1q21.1 deletion syndrome, which is when one chromosome on
chromosome 1 is normal length, while the other is too short. With 1q21.1, the '1' stands
for chromosome 1, the 'q' stands for the long arm of the chromosome and '21.1' stands
for the part of the long arm where the deletion occurs. Contrary to popular belief, there
is NO correlation between autism and vaccines.
While there is no cure for autism, one could try to treat some aspects of the condition.
Some people opt for medication, including antidepressants and stimulants, while some
people may opt for early intervention therapy or one on one therapy. While some
therapies are not fully medically supported (like elimination diets,) some people choose
alternatives to therapy. Just like the disorder itself, every autistic person has a different
way of treating it. In regards to prospective parents who want to test for autism, the only
test available as of right now is amniocentesis. If a mother were to want to prevent
themselves from being exposed to prenatal factors, they should take multivitamins,
make sure they eat balanced meals with plenty of nutrients (especially folic acid) and
stay away from any chemical pollutants.

References

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Marcelina Hardy, BCC. "Physical Characteristics Of Autism". LoveToKnow. N.p., 2015.

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Mayoclinic.org,. "Autism Spectrum Disorder Causes - Mayo Clinic". N.p., 2015. Web. 16
Dec. 2015.

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Silberman, Steve. "Exclusive: First Autistic Presidential Appointee Speaks Out". WIRED.
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Wikipedia,. "Autism". N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.

Wikipedia,. "Autism Therapies". N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.

Wikipedia,. "Epigenetics Of Autism". N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.

Figure 1: A person with autism. Generally, people

with autism have wider eyes or broader mouths.