World Autism Awareness Day 2012
(HN, 4/2/12) - The rate of autism in all regions of the world is high & it has a tremendous impact on children, their families, communities & societies. World Autism Awareness Day is 5 years old, celebrated every April 2. It was designated by the UN & adopted on December 18, 2007; first proposed by Qatar. What is Autism? Autism is a lifelong neural developmental disability that manifests itself during the first 3 years of life. Characterized by impaired social interaction & communication & by restricted & repetitive behavior, autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells & their synapses connect & organize; how this occurs is not well understood. It is 1 of 3 recognized disorders in the Autism spectrum (ASDs), the other 2 being Asperger syndrome, which lacks delays in cognitive development & language, & Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified - which is diagnosed when the full set of criteria for autism or Asperger syndrome are not met. (Read more at Autism Speaks)