Medical Term of the Week

As a widely used term, Autism was very interesting to research and to learn more about.

Autism : A neurological disorder which affects normal brain function and is usually presented during the first three years of life. People with autism usually have trouble with non verbal cues, social interaction, communication and playing. The correct term, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) means that there is a wide variety of levels, types and intensities of ASD. There are hardly any two cases that are exactly the same. Many of the same problems are duplicated but in different intensities. Sufferers are strongly affected in social situations, from just being clumsy and not saying the right thing to not wanting or noticing people at all. With communication problems, it is difficult for sufferers to relate and empathize with others, making sympathy a hard thing for most autistic people to grasp. Surprises are also something that bother autistic people deeply, ranging from a sudden light to a quick touch. Routine, repetitive and predictable behavior is craved. We don't yet know what causes autism, but studies are being done and more and more is being learned.