Autism is a fairly common but devastating disorder. It is the third most prevalent developmental disability behind mental retardation and cerebral palsy. Autism occurs once in every 500 births in a ratio of five boys to every girl. There are over 400,000 people affected by Autism today. It is more common than multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, and childhood cancer. Yet, autism receives only 5% of the research funding. That's less than other less widespread diseases.

Autism has quite a range of effects on a person. It is considered a developmental disorder affecting language, communicative, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and fine and gross motor skills. Autistic people can be affected in all these ways, but not always. Some may only be affected in one or maybe two ways. Since it has such a wide variety of affects, autism is described as being mild or severe depending on how a person is affected.

A person with autism may have problems with their normal senses. They are either hyper or hypo sensitive to their five senses. If they are hypersensitive a sound that is normal to me may cause pain to the ears of an autistic person. But the opposite happens with hyposensitivity, they may hardly hear anything. The same would happen with the other senses. This is why some autistics resist physical contact. This also explains why hypersensitive autistics can't go to someplace like a mall. The sound is just way too much for them.

There are a vast number of treatments for autism although there is no cure. The reason there are so many different treatments is because of the way autism affects people. Autism affects every person differently. Because people are affected in this way treatments are usually developed for an individual rather than a large number of people. Behavioral therapies, speech therapies, diet, vitamin and mineral supplementatian, and medical interventions are all used to treat an autistic people. Sadly many of these treatments, although effective, are considered experimental. Most of the medical community does not support them and most insurance companies exclude them from coverage.

utistic's language and communication is affected it is very difficult for them and others. They may repeat words instead of speaking in normal sentences. They may use hand gestures instead of verbal requests. But maybe the most devastating of all is having not being able to speak at all. Temple Grandin is an Assistant Professor at Colorad

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