2. T HE INCREDIBLE STORY OF AUTISM …. WHAT IS IT AND HOW CAN WE HELP ? By: Kiana Hill

3. W HAT IS AUTISM ???? Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can be recognized by deficits in communication, social interaction, repetitive behavior and cognitive skills. Autism spectrum disorders include Autistic Disorder (Classic Autism), Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) and Asperger Syndrome.

4. T HE SYMPTOMS OF AUTISM Symptoms of autism vary based on severity and type of autism or autism spectrum disorder. Symptoms of autism is put in three areas: Social skills, language and behavior. When a doctor is trying to determine if a child has autism, they look at these three areas to see if they can find the deficits in this areas. Some of the symptoms are: preferring to play alone, poor eye contact, not responding to his/her name, delayed speech, repetitive behavior and many more…..

5. T HE BRAIN OF A CHILD WITH AUTISM These pictures shows where the problems are in the brain of a child with autism…..

6. S YMPTOMS OF AUTISM On the left, you will see a diagram that explains how the different symptoms of autism are connected to each other.

7. I S AUTISM GENETIC ???? Yes, there is a genetic link for autism among family members. Identical twins have up to a 90% chance of having autism if one twin has autism already Families with one child with autism have a 5% chance or 1 in 20 chance of having another child with autism.

8. W HAT CAN WE DO TO HELP ???? Are you asking yourself “What can I do to help this cause?” Spreading awareness about autism is very helpful. Attending a walk or just telling your friends and family is the first step in spreading autism awareness.

9. F OR MORE INFORMATION ON AUTISM ……. If you would like more information on autism and how you can help, please go to the following web pages: www.autismspeaks.org, www.twitter.com/Activist4Autism, autism4acause.wordpress.com.www.autismspeaks.org www.twitter.com/Activist4Autism autism4acause.wordpress.com Let’s all get involved in spreading autism awareness not just in April, but all year around and try to make a difference!!!!!!!