Autism is the fastest growing disability in the United States. A child is diagnosed with Autism every 21 minutes and it now affects 1 in every 125 children in the US. Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities defined by significant impairments in social interaction and communication and the presence of unusual behaviors and interests.

Many people with ASDs also have unusual ways of learning, paying attention,
or reacting to different sensations. Since the diagnosis of ASD relies on the description of behavior, there is no straight foward clinical diagnosis or simple blood test.

ASD begins before the age of three and lasts throughout the persons life.
It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups and is four times more likely to occur in boys than in girls.