Autism Cause and treatment

Cause

Since autism is now recognized to be of biological origin, researchers have begun to explore a variety of possible causes. Some cases are clearly genetic, and recently researchers have identified certain genes that may be causative. The discovery of an antibody to brain receptors for the neurotransmitter serotonin in the blood of some autistic individuals suggests that the disorder either might be a form of auto immune disease or else might be an indication of the degeneration of nerve cells in the brain In 1988, brain scans using magnetic resonance imaging revealed that some autistic individuals have a large deficiency of brain cells in a part of the cerebellum known as the vermis. The biological mechanism causing this has not been discovered. 

Treatment 

The most pervasive form of treatment for autistic individuals today involves the use of intensive, purposeful behavior modification programs, in which the subject is taught in small increments and reinforced immediately after an appropriate response is made. An intensive behavior modification program, if started at age three or four, may produce near-normal behavior in a significant percentage of autistic children. 

Various drugs have been used on autistic children, but drugs currently available have limited effectiveness and some potential for significant side effects. Researchers have found larger-than-normal dosages of vitamin B(6), accompanied by magnesium, to be helpful to many children and adults. Several reports show B(6) and magnesium to benefit about one-half of the autistic children and adults on whom this has been tried, with no adverse effects reported. Improvement was found not only in behavior but also in brain electrical activity and in biochemical measures. Despite such progress no treatment program has proved uniformly effective. Many autistic persons remain severely impaired, requiring institutionalization or custodial home care all their lives. A few have spontaneously recovered, or partially recovered, and have written accounts of their experiences.