Although autism is not a new disorder, only a few people fully understand it. Therefore, we will discuss it in detail, including its types, causes, and symptoms. Autism is a brain disorder and doctors also call it ASD, autism spectrum disorder. It involves social interactions and communication problems. People with ASD show strange and stereotyped behaviors.

The disease has nothing to do with culture, race or gender, as it can affect anyone. However, research shows that autism is more common among boys than girls, consisting of a 4:1 ratio of boys to girls.

Types of ASD

According to the APA, the American Psychiatric Association, there are a variety of autistic disorders, such as

  • Involving Intellectual Disability

  • Involve language impairment

  • Due to genetics or environment

  • Certain other mental and behavioral disorders

  • autism with catatonia

A person with autism may have one or more than one type. Sometimes the autistic patient has other disorders, such as Asperger’s syndrome, autism, childhood disintegrative syndrome, or pervasive developmental disorder.

ASD symptoms

Autism has certain symptoms that appear between 1 and 2 years of age. But, in some cases, these symptoms appear before the year or after two years. Symptoms of this disorder in a young child often include delayed social development or language learning problems. The symptoms are divided into two types such as;

Communication problems and social interactions

  • Inability to continue conversion.

  • Inability to show interests and emotions.

  • lack of eye contact

  • Unable to understand body language.

  • unable to maintain relationships

Restricted and repetitive behavior problems

  • Restricted interests

  • Repetition of speech or movement

  • Bad response to certain sounds.

  • rigid behaviors

  • fixed routine

Experts assess patients with autism according to the category and intensity of symptoms. Doctors declare autism in a person who has all the symptoms of the first type and two symptoms of the other type.

Reasons behind autism

Research shows that the cause of autism cannot be specified, and it could be anything as described below. In addition to the above studies and that acetaminophen is a cause of autism, there are certain possible risk factors such as;

  • Family history or genetic mutation

  • Disorders such as fragile X syndrome

  • older mom giving birth

  • A newborn baby with low birth weight

  • Previous viral infections

  • metabolic disorders

  • Environmental toxins or vulnerability to heavy metals

Environment and genetics can determine whether or not a child will develop autism, according to the NINDS, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. These resources also found that vaccines do not cause autism, as there was a controversial study that claimed certain vaccines cause autism.