Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism, formally known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests in a diverse array of challenges affecting social interaction, communication, and behavior. The term "spectrum" underscores the variability in symptoms and functioning among individuals diagnosed with autism. This spectrum encompasses a broad range of abilities, disabilities, and characteristics, acknowledging that each person with autism is unique in their presentation of the disorder. Autism prevalence has increased 178% since 2000.
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According to the CDC, as of 2023, around 1 in 36 children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with autism. Worldwide 75 million people have autism spectrum disorder, that's 1% of the world’s population. Research from 2021 suggests 1 in 100 children worldwide are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Boys are four times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with autism. Boys are also more likely to be diagnosed at an earlier age than girls, and the average age of diagnosis for boys is 4.3 years compared to 5.3 years for girls.
References
The Treetop. (2023). Autism Statistics and Facts. [Online]. www.thetreetop.com. Last Updated: October 29th 2023. Available at: https://www.thetreetop.com/statistics/autism-prevalence [Accessed 2 January 2024].
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005. National center on birth defects and developmental disabilities (ncbddd). URL: http://www. cdc. gov/ncbddd/index. Html.
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Li, Y.J., Li, Y.M. and Xiang, D.X., 2018. Supplement intervention associated with nutritional deficiencies in autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review. European journal of nutrition, 57, pp.2571-2582.
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Frye, R.E., Rossignol, D.A., Scahill, L., McDougle, C.J., Huberman, H. and Quadros, E.V., 2020, October. Treatment of folate metabolism abnormalities in autism spectrum disorder. In Seminars in pediatric neurology (Vol. 35, p. 100835). WB Saunders.
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Richard E. Frye, Stepan Melnyk, George Fuchs, Tyra Reid, Stefanie Jernigan, Oleksandra Pavliv, Amanda Hubanks, David W. Gaylor, Laura Walters, S. Jill James. 2013 . Effectiveness of Methylcobalamin and Folinic Acid Treatment on Adaptive Behavior in Children with Autistic Disorder Is Related to Glutathione Redox Status, Autism Research and Treatment, vol. 2013 https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/609705
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Pacholok, S.M., 2014. Pediatric Vitamin B12 Deficiency: When Autism Isn't Autism. Pharmacy times, 80(2).
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Russell-Jones, G. and Karl, J., 2023. New. Altered Neurotransmitter Metabolites in Vitamin B12 Deficiency. Journal of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Disorders, 7, pp.223-227.
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Russell-Jones, G., 2022. Functional Vitamin B12 deficiency in Autism.