A therapist works with an autistic boy in a public school. Autism severely impairs a child’s ability to learn, communicate, and interact with others. Behavior modification and other forms of treatment can improve the language and social skills of children with autism.
Autism, disorder that severely impairs development of a person’s ability to communicate, interact with other people, and maintain normal contact with the outside world. The disorder was first described in 1943 by American psychiatrist Leo Kanner. One of the most common developmental disabilities, autism affects approximately 1 in 500 to 1 in 166 children and appears before the age of three. It is about four times more common in males than in females.
CAUSES
TREATMENT
RELATED DISORDERS
Contributed By:
Michael Woods
