Autism 101

The way the media presents it, you'd think that autism is autism. But not so. In fact, "autism" is actually a collection of diagnoses, each a little different from the others. At its most severe, autism is sometimes termed "classic autism." But what are the other autism spectrum diagnoses?

Autism is a complex topic - but what are the MOST important things to know about autism? This quick top 10 article includes the most imortant autism facts, plus links to learn more. Share it with your mom, your child's teacher, or anyone else who asks "What is autism, anyway?"

If you're new to the autism spectrum, you may have built your picture of autism from media stories. But it's important not to believe everything you see or hear!

There's an incredible glut of information about autism available on the web. Some is outstanding; some is ... not so outstanding. These top ten sites are reliable resources that offer solid information, useful advice, and fascinating insights into the world of autism.

This article covers the basics and much more. Be sure to read the case descriptions, quotes from adults with autism, and information about treatment and prognosis.

Autism information is everywhere - and often you'll read the same content in multiple sites. You'll be surprised, though, to discover some of these tidbits of autism information that are rarely publicized.

Fragile X is a known cause of autism, and about 5% of autism diagnoses can be traced to fragile X. Looked at another way, about one third of people with fragile X are also autistic. Fragile X is a genetic mutation that can result in symptoms that look very similar to autism (hand biting, flapping, social anxiety), but most people with...

Rett Syndrome is a genetically-based autism spectrum disorder which affects almost only girls. It's uncommon ...

As parents hear more and more about autism in the news, they worry that anything they do (or don't do) could cause the disorder. In fact, while there is debate about what causes autism, it's clear that many things cannot cause autism.

For children with autism, communication is critical concern. There's plenty of information on the Internet about autism and communication, but not all of it is accurate. Find out more about the myths and truths of autism and communication.

What are your autism-related resolutions for the year 2011?

What were the top autism news stories of 2010? Add your top picks.

This year, as every year, there was plenty of autism news. There plenty of news stories about vaccines and the celebrities who believe (or don't believe) in an autism-vaccine connection. There were celebrity stories and events. There were research findings. And there were a couple of sad losses to the autism community. These are my top...

Meet guest reviewer Kim Wombles.

Meet Kristina Chew, Professor of Classics, autism blogger extraordinaire, and guest reviewer for Autism at About.com