1. What is Autism?

Autism is a cerebral developmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction across multiple contexts, as well as restricted, repetitive patterns of interests and behaviors. Autism is formed before three years old. After that age, the symptoms are obvious. Most autistic children need long-term recovery training and special education.

2.Is autism a kind of psychological disease?

Autism is not a psychological disease, nor does it indicate a solitary personality. However, most autistic children have some psychological problems, such as cognitive, emotional and behavioral problems.

3. What kind of disability does Autism belong to?

China has classified autism as a kind of psychiatric disability since 2006.

4. When were the first international and domestic cases of autism confirmed?

In 1943, Leo Kanner, a famous doctor of child psychiatry from Johns Hopkins University in the US, wrote the first thesis about autism, describing the cases of 11 children and proposing the concept of autism. In 1982, Professor Tao Guotai, an expert in child psychiatry from Nanjing Brain Hospital, first reported 4 cases of autistic children to arouse domestic attention.

5. What's the prevalence rate of autism?

At present, the global average prevalence rate reported by WHO is 62/10,000 (0.62%), which means that there is an autistic child for every 160 children. According to country reports, the actual rate of autism may be higher.

6. Is there any gender difference in the prevalence of autism?

The prevalence of autism has obvious gender differences. The prevalence rate for boys is much higher than that for girls. Generally, the prevalence rate of boy/girl is 4-6/1.

7. What's the cause of autism?

The cause of autism is not yet clear. Epidemiological research has identified many factors that may cause autism. However, none of them is the direct causative factor. One widely recognized factor is the interaction between gene mutation and an undesirable environment; de novo mutation may be the main cause of autism. But the concrete pathogenic factors and mechanisms have not been defined. Research shows that some factors such as senior parents, infection during pregnancy, improper dosing in early pregnancy and contact with chemical substances may increase the risk of autism.