Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Introduction[edit | edit source]
Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterized by patterns of delay and deviance in the development of social, communicative, and cognitive skills that arise in the first years of life [1]. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) refers to a group of neurodevelopmental disorders including autism, Asperger's syndrome (AS) and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) [2]. It is characterized by deficits in social communication and the presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. ASD can also be defined as a neurobiological disorder predisposed by both genetic and environmental factors affecting the developing brain. [3]
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the international prevalence of ASD at 0.76%; however, this only accounts for approximately 16% of the global child population with an increase over the past two decades.
Risk Factors[edit | edit source]
Hereditary factors, parental history of psychiatric disorders, pre-term births, and fetal exposure to psychotropic drugs or insecticides have all been linked to higher risk of ASD. [3]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Volkmar, F., Siegel, M., Woodbury-Smith, M., King, B., McCracken, J. and State, M., 2014. Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 53(2), pp.237-257.
- ↑ Sharma SR, Gonda X, Tarazi FI. Autism spectrum disorder: classification, diagnosis and therapy. Pharmacology & therapeutics. 2018 Oct 1;190:91-104.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hodges H, Fealko C, Soares N. Autism spectrum disorder: definition, epidemiology, causes, and clinical evaluation. Translational pediatrics. 2020 Feb; 9(Suppl 1): S55.
