Autism PDD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by atypical social interplay, abnormal communication skills, as well as patterns of interests and behavior that are non-standard. Based on current research it is believed to occur one in every one hundred and sixty-six births. This same research says that it is the fastest growing developmental disability in America. Comparisons to American population growth are starting. During the 1990s the United States shows a thirteen percent increase in its general population. In this population there is a sixteen increase in people dealing with disabilities of any kind. But autism ppd itself has an increase of one hundred and seventy two percent for the same time period. Researchers question whether autism pdd, with an annual growth of ten to seventeen percent, is dramatically on the rise or if it is being seen for what it is when previously it was being misdiagnosed.
Currently there are somewhere between one million and one and a half million people with autism in the Untied States alone. The annual cost of caring for those with autism pdd is ninety billion dollars most of which is dedicated to helping autistic adults. The feeling is that, at this rate, in another ten years the budget will grow to over two hundred billion. But, researchers also believe that with early intervention these care costs could be cut by nearly two thirds.
Boys are three to four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism pdd than girls. But, when a girl is found to be autistic she will usually suffer its affects much harsher than her male counterpart. Families who have one child with the disorder have a one in twenty chance of having a second child who is also autistic.
Sadly as there are so many things that are not immediately obvious to some doctors forty percent of children with the disorder take more than three years to be diagnosed. These three years can be intensely frustrating to parents trying to understand why their child has seemingly turned away from them and is acting in ways they do not understand.
This is not just one disorder that covers a number of symptoms. Doctors break autism pdd down into low functioning and high functioning. These two groups are dependent on IQ, as well as the ability to read, write and speak. Many professionals argue that if the person can communicate they are not autistic, but this is not true. There is no cure, but with early intervention, special education and compassionate caregivers, many people with the disorder can grow up to be part of the mainstream world. Others, more deeply affected, will need intervention their entire lives.