Current Issues in Autism

Autism spectrum disorder is one of the fastest growing disability categories. It is also one of the most challenging.

It is estimated that from one in 500 to one in 166 children have autism, and it affects boys at a 4-to-1 ratio over girls.

The recent explosion in the number of children diagnosed with autism has spurred interest in its cause. Theories include genetics, environmental factors such as pesticides, infections, hormone imbalance, and mercury in vaccines.

Multiple approaches exist for the treatment of autism. Educational treatments often address communication and behavior, and one of the most widely accepted is applied behavior analysis. However, there are other strategies that have helped some students but are disputed in the field. Additional educational methods exist that have helped some children with autism but have not been validated by large-scale studies. 

Other treatments for autism include biomedical and dietary approaches. These approaches, too, have proponents and detractors.

Here is a link to more issues regarding or dealing with Autism: 

http://www.harryhong.com/index_files/AutismIssues.htm