The Medical Minute: Autism - The Teenage Years
Tuesday, April 14, 2009April is Autism Awareness month. Autism spectrum disorders are neurodevelopmental disorders marked by impaired social interactions, deficits in verbal and non-verbal communication, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior that persist throughout a person's lifetime. Autism spectrum disorders, or ASD, have received increasing media and public attention in recent years as the numbers of individuals and families affected by autism continues to steadily increase. The most recent prevalence estimate for ASD is that one of every 150 children born today is affected. On average, 67 new diagnoses of autism are made every day, according to this week's edition of The Medical Minute, a service of the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. (more)