Autism is considered a spectrum disorder due to the varying degrees of impairment in communication, social interaction, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, otherwise known as the triad of impairments. Each symptom can range from severe to mild and occur differently with each child. Each child will display symptoms and patterns that are individual but fit into the overall diagnosis of ASD. Autism was given its' name in 1943 by Dr. Leo Kanner.

Kanner studied a group of children who had similar developmental patterns and deficits and gave the label early infantile autism. During this same time, Dr. Hans Asperger, described a similar form of the disorder that became known as Asperger Syndrome. Autism is a neurobilogical disorder, however no cause has yet to be confirmed. If a child displays symptoms, but does not meet the specific criteria for either autism or Asperger's Syndrome, the diagnosis is called pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Other rare, very severe disorders that are included in the autism spectrum are Rett's Syndrome and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder.

ASD is a lifelong condition and does not discriminate race or economic status , although it does affect boys four times more frequently than girls. While Down Syndrome is the most commonly identified cause of mental retardation it currently occurs in 1 and 800 births.(1) Autism today occurs in 1 in 110 births. This is a 5,000% increase in the last 10 years when in 1998 autism occurred in only 1 in 10,000 births.

It is estimated that up to 560,000 individuals in America between the ages of 0 and 21 have an ASD which bears an associated cost of $35 billion dollars per year (Ganz, 2006). This dramatic increase has put an enormous strain on the public special education system, who in 1994 had 22,664 pupils between the ages of 6 and 17 and now is reported to have over 211,000 pupils in special education. (2)

(1) National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Key Findings from Recent Birth Defects and Pediatric Genetics Branch Projects. [cited 2006 Nov]. (2) Individualrs with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Data. Number of children served under IDEA Part B by disability and age group, 2006. [cited Jan 2008].