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Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social, communication skills, and restricted and repetitive behavior. It affects the processing and organization of information to the brain. But this is only one of the recognized disorders in the autism spectrum, the other two are Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder. Autism has a strong genetic basis, and in rare cases, is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects. Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child's life. The signs usually develop gradually, but some autistic children first develop more normally and then regress. Early behavioral or cognitive intervention can help autistic children gain self-care, social, and communication skills. Although there is no known cure, there have been reported cases of children who recovered. Not many children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, though some become successful. An autistic culture has developed, with some individuals seeking a cure and others believing autism should be accepted as a difference and not treated as a disorder.
Social deficits distinguish autism and the related autism spectrum disorders from other developmental disorders. People with autism have social impairments and often lack the intuition about others that many people take for granted. Some unusual social development becomes noticeable in early childhood. Infants show less attention to social stimuli, do not look or smile at people as often, and do not respond to their name as much. They also do not possess the ability to use simple movements to express themselves. Three- to five-year-old autistic children are less likely to exhibit social understanding, approach others spontaneously, imitate and respond to emotions, communicate nonverbally, and

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