What is autism?

Children with autism appear to live in their own world. They show little interest in the people around them and may make little or no effort to communicate with them. Their activities are typically repetitive, obsessive and peculiar. They often resist cuddling, play alone and become distraught when strict routines are disrupted. Spoken language is delayed, lost or absent altogether.

According to recent data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism in various forms now affects a startling 1 in 150 children in the United States.

Parents sometimes sense something “wrong” with a child at birth or even before. But many children appear to progress normally or even brilliantly until they’re 2 or 3, when their behavior changes and development slows or regresses.

The severity of symptoms varies greatly, and in recent years the medical profession has adopted the term “autism spectrum disorder” to refer to them.

With severe, “classic” autism at one end and milder Asperger syndrome at the other, the spectrum also encompasses Rett syndrome and other conditions. Individuals with milder forms are often able to succeed in school and live and work independently as adults, but those more severely affected may require institutional care.

The cause of autism spectrum disorder is not known, but most research is focused on identifying a genetic basis.

Most physicians agree that the best therapy for children with autism is a behavioral model known as Applied Behavioral Analysis, and, often, medications to help them be more calm, focused and receptive.

On their Web sites, Boston Children’s Hospital, the National Institutes of Health and the CDC all recommend ABA and the judicious use of psychoactive medications to help children achieve as much independence as possible.

The NIH and CDC sites make passing reference to alternative therapies based on dietary changes, supplements and chelation, but caution parents that these interventions are unproven, unreliable and even potentially dangerous.

Boston Children’s Hospital, which offers a highly respected autism program, does not allude to such treatments, and when asked to comment for this story, doctors there declined to be interviewed.