No one knows for sure. Though it's understandable to expect that a disorder as common as autism would have a known cause, in many ways it's still quite mysterious. Recent studies suggest a strong genetic basis for autism -- up to 20 sets of genes may play a part in its development. Genetics alone, however, can't account for all the cases, and so scientists are also looking into possible environmental origins, as well as other triggers.

If you are observing impairment in eye contact, social skills and communication, and increased participation in restricted or repetitive behaviors, you should have your child evaluated. This evaluation will determine if your child meets the diagnostic criteria for an Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

While atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema, is associated with asthma and other atopic disorders, it does not directly cause them, and people with atopic dermatitis do not always develop other atopic conditions. However, a link exists between eczema and asthma. One study found that 46% of boys and girls with asthma also had eczema.

No one person can or should take "blame" for "creating" an eating disorder in someone else. There are many things that contribute to the developement of an eating disorder in someone. However, if the goal is recovery from the eating disorder, then understanding what we can and cannot do to help the loved one out of the eating disorder is a much more productive priority. Changing behavior in family members can be an essential part of eating disorder recovery and ongoing mental health.

There is no medication that can cure autism, and no one medication that is recommended for individuals with autism. Medications can be recommended to help with very specific target symptoms that are associated with autism. Some of these symptoms might include extreme difficulty attending to the pertinent aspects of the environment or aggression towards self or others.

No. There are a variety of disorders that are related to limited speech development but any child that is not talking by the age of 3 should have a developmental assessment immediately. Most children are babbling before they reach their first birthday and use single words to communicate by 18 months. Any child that does not display these behaviors or who has and subsequently loses a communicative or social skill should be screened for an Autism Spectrum Disorder as soon as possible.

Family intervention, where family and friends band together and encourage a drinker to accept help for his drinking, has been used successfully for over thirty years, ever since Vernon Johnson first began experimenting with the technique in the early 1960's. This intervention technique was and continues to be the standard against which all further developments are compared and measured. And rightfully so.

Autism, part of a group of disorders known as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. The disorder is characterized by varying degrees of impairment in communication skills and social abilities, and also by repetitive behaviors. Symptoms range from mild to severe. One milder form of the disorder is known as Asperger Syndrome.

Current data suggest that the likelihood of having a child with autism if the biological parents already have one child with autism is at least 1/20. This rate may be an underestimate, given that many families with one autistic child will stop having children due to stress or the fear of having another child with the disorder.

Clearly it is impossible to make a generalization about how any individual child will grow and progress. All children continue to develop, despite delays or the presence of deviant behaviors. Information that we have currently about the progress of adults with autism is based on the treatments these individuals received twenty or thirty years ago.

Though the presentation of symptoms with Autism can vary quite a bit, there are specific behaviors necessary for diagnosing it. Impairment in reciprocal social interaction must be present. We often envision a child with Autism as avoiding eye contact or perhaps as using people as they would inanimate objects. Communicative deficits also must be present for an ASD to be diagnosed.

Parents and physicians, in monitoring a child's healthy development, must be responsive to any concerns raised about a child. If you have any concerns about a child's developmental progress, it is crucial to take action, and to arrange for a routine developmental screening. For more detailed information visit: www.firstsigns.org POAC maintains no data on chelation therapy. You should speak to your medical doctor about whether or not it is an option for your child.

Most people with vitiligo have no relatives with vitiligo. However, enough people with vitiligo do have parents, or siblings or children who develop vitiligo that a genetic factor does appear to exist. While there is some disagreement in the medical community, many vitiligo experts believe there is not an increased risk for skin cancer in vitiligo patients.

There is no cure for autism at present. There are many kinds of intervention suggested by people and professionals with different degrees of experience with autistic people. Be wary of any intervention that promises a cure or that suggests that the particular method advocated is the only effective approach.

Developing this web site and putting it together piece by piece has been an incredibly challenging and rewarding experience. I have learnt so much. For those that are interested, I have put together a list of the most valuable resources used along the way. Click here to check it out.

We met at our mutual friends' house (animal communicator Kate Solisti-Mattelon and her husband Patrice) - after 6 months of listening to everyone around us say, "You have to meet Jackson," and "You have to meet Dr. Jean.