Information from Your Family Doctor

Helping a Child with Autism

Am Fam Physician. 2010 Feb 15;81(4):461.

See related article on children with autism

What is autism?

Autism is a condition that makes it hard to communicate and relate to others. Sometimes it causes people to repeat behaviors over and over. People with autism will have it their whole lives. Some people will have mild symptoms and some will have more severe symptoms. Children usually show symptoms before three years of age. Anyone can have it, but it is more common in boys than girls.

What causes it?

Autism may be caused by problems in the brain. It may run in families. Studies have shown that vaccines do not cause autism.

What are the signs of autism?

Your child may have autism if you notice these behaviors:

• Not pointing to things he or she wants

• Not answering when his or her name is called

• Not having back-and-forth communication

• Unusual actions, such as toe walking, hand flapping, looking at things up close or out of the corner of the eye, or unusual finger movements near the eyes

• Trouble handling changes in daily routines or habits

What should I do if I think my child has it?

Talk with your child's doctor. The doctor may recommend a specialist who works with children with autism. Children younger than three years can get help from a local early intervention agency. Children three years and older can get help through their school. To find help in your area, call the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities at 1-800-695-0285. You can also visit their Web site at http://www.nichcy.org.

Where can I get more information?

American Academy of Family Physicians

Web site: http://familydoctor.org/634.xml

American Academy of Pediatrics

Web site: http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/autism.cfm

Autism Society of America

Web site: http://www.autism-society.org

Autism Speaks

Web site: http://www.autismspeaks.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly

First Signs

Web site: http://www.firstsigns.org

This handout is provided to you by your family doctor and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Other health-related information is available from the AAFP online at http://familydoctor.org.

This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.

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