ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) is described as a grouping of serious development problems that is caused by some sort of distress in a young child's brain. ASD usually shows itself before age three and continues manifesting for the rest of the person's life. Recognizing and treating the disorder early will effect how severe the disorder can be. All of the forms of Autism hinder the ability to communicate and interact with others. The causes of ASD is still unknown, as is the prevention and cure for autism. Treating Autism early on will make a huge difference.

Symptoms and Signs: Autism reveals itself in crucial areas of development. Children with Autism may have problems with social interaction, language and behavior. They may have difficulty learning, or have different ways of learning, difficulty with paying attention or reacting to things. Certain behaviors might be repeated. Children show signs of Autism in early childhood/infancy.

Signs of Autism in a social setting can be: a child showing little or no acknowledgment to their name being called, not wanting to make eye contact, not hearing you at times, not wanting to cuddle or be held (or only wanting to when they feel like it), no consideration of other's feelings, affinity for solitude, and difficulty in expressing their feelings.

Language signs of Autism are: Delayed development in talking, losing learned ability to speak a sentence or sentence fragment, avoids eye contact when requesting something, talks in a strange tone or rhythm, is not able to start a conversation or keep one going, could repeat a sentence verbatim, but not be able to facilitate it, may have a hard time expressing what they need.

Behavioral signs are: A child may repeat and action time and again, for example, rocking or hand flapping, having a specific schedule or ritual, and getting upset if that schedule is disturbed, constantly moving. A child could also be enthralled with an object's moving parts, can be hypersensitive to sound, light and touch, while being unaffected by pain, may also lack intuition to point at interesting objects, such as a helicopter flying overhead.

Contact your doctor when your child experiences a loss of skills at any age. Ask for a referral to see a developmental-pediatrician. Acting early can make a real difference.