Autism is one kind of developmental disabilities which is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with communication skills, repetitive behaviors and limited activities and interests. According to the surveys, there's one autistic children out of 150 children in America, one out of 1000 in Canada. Boys are more prone to autism.

Although,  there is no general agreement on the root  causes of autism,  various schools of thought identify potential causes for autism. Genetics is one possible cause for autism. Essentially, combinations of genetic factors that may reach back generations in the gene pools of the father and mother may come together in such a way as to create an impact on the central nervous system. Thus, autism may be the random result of combined family DNA. However, at present, there is no definitive proof of this theory for the origin of autism.

 There is a theory that a child who is exposed to large amounts of electronic media before the age of three years may  be at increased risk of developing autism.  Another study shows that maternal antibodies may  have a link to autism. Prenatal Exposure To Maternal Antibodies may cause autistic behaviors.

General symptoms of autistic children include:

1. Difficulty in verbal and nonverbal communication. Avoid eye contact. Prefers to play alone.

2. Prefers a changeless lifestyle. Difficulty in adjusting to changes in routine or familiar surroundings.

3. Difficulty in using and understanding language. Repeating words or phrases.

4. Repetitive body movements. Inability to concentrate on one thing. Lack of imagination.