Autism affects millions of people's lives each day. The multitude of autism's effect spans not only to the individuals afflicted with the disorder but to family members, friends and caretakers. Numerous people can say they know of at least one person that has autism or a form of it.

Recently, autism has been put into the spotlight and received major attention on television. People from all over the country most likely heard of the awe-inspiring story based out of a suburban high school in Rochester. In February 2006, Jason McElwain, the manager for his school's basketball team swapped his shirt and tie for a uniform. Since the team was leading by many points, the coach let McElwain on the court for the last few minutes.

In those final minutes, McElwain, who is diagnosed with autism, broke a school record by making six 3-pointers and scoring 20 points altogether. The excitement of the team and crowd has been replayed over and over on Web sites all over the Internet, such as YouTube. After this extraordinary event, the autistic teenager had the opportunity to meet former President George W. Bush and was nominated for numerous awards. His story even caught the eye of Magic Johnson who wanted to produce a movie about McElwain's life.

The term autism is a mystery to many but more common than some may imagine. Autism is classified as a developmental disorder under the Autism Spectrum Disorders or ASDs. Autism was initially recognized by Dr. Leo Kanner in 1943 and is known as "a complex neurobiological disorder," according to the Web site www.autismspeaks.org. Besides autism, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, Asperger's syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) are classified under the known Autism Spectrum Disorders.

What most researchers and psychologists agree on concerning autism and ASDs, is that they affect an individual's brain development and how they react socially with the outside world. Close to one out of 150 individuals are diagnosed with autism in the United States. Autism affects people of all backgrounds and both genders but tends to occur more in males than females. Due to advancing technologies and increasing awareness, autistic children are typically diagnosed as toddlers or at even earlier ages.

When asked about how he views autism, Evan Wadsworth, who is studying pre-med for psychiatry at the University of Hartford replied, "Autism is a disorder that affects everyone, not only the person diagnosed. It doesn't take just a handful of people but the support of the entire community."

Autism's effects can be very minor to very severe. In fact, the symptoms from one person to another can be quite different. The most prominent symptoms associated with autism are the lack of communication skills. People diagnosed with autism find it difficult to express their verbal abilities, relate to others and shy away from social situations. Autistic individuals might have certain habitual traits and tendencies. They also may be highly sensitive to loud sounds, certain things they touch, but may have a lessened sensation to some pain.

When it comes to social interaction, autistic children behave differently than their peers. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, people with autism "have difficulty interpreting what others are thinking or feeling because they lack social cues" and simply "lack empathy."

The majority of researchers and specialists in the field of neurological disorders concur that the cause of autism is a combination of multiple factors. The probable causes are most likely due to heredity as well as environmental issues. Some studies cite abnormalities in particular parts of the brain or defects in certain genes that control growth of the brain.

Since autism is such a multifaceted syndrome, there is no single or basic cure for it yet.

There are numerous treatments and procedures that help to slow the progress of the disorder or help people with autism try to adapt to their surroundings and improve their communication abilities. Therapies that address speech and behavioral problems have been shown to help individuals with autism.

For instance, autistic individuals may meet with a trained professional who works with them one-on-one in an organized format to work on their verbal and non-verbal skills. Some families that live with an autistic person choose to take part in some form of counseling or group meetings to discuss the needs and better understand the concerns of the person with autism.

Doctors of autistic patients also may prescribe medications that can help with behavioral problems like attention deficit disorder, seizures, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Other treatments for autism include: intense speech therapy, occupational therapy, a gluten-free diet, applied behavior analysis, and the TEAACH method used in schools.

Researchers and doctors agree that the early diagnosis of autism and swift involvement of treatment yields the most benefits. The right mixture of therapy and care from families and loved ones usually results in seeing notable and positive changes in the autistic person's behavior.

With the right care and treatments, some people living with autism can actually live close to normal lives and act independently. In fact, countless autistic men and women in their adolescence and adulthood years complete school or find jobs that work with their skills and potential. Some jobs that autistic people do consist of work that is repetitive in nature, calls for high concentration, and does not revolve around a social atmosphere.

Another case in which someone with autism was put into the spotlight was on the reality show America's Next Top Model . In the ninth season of the show, the then 21-year-old Heather Kuzmich was chosen by supermodel and talk-show host Tyra Banks and made it to the final five out of 13 aspiring models.

Heather had a less severe form of autism, known as Asperger's syndrome. People with Asperger's have similar symptoms of autism but are able to verbally communicate better. More often than not, they have the same or higher IQ's as any other individual.

While on the show, Kuzmich was sometimes awkward around others, and had a hard time socializing with the other girls in the house they shared. Nevertheless, her beauty and talent got her far, and she walked away with a handful of beneficial experiences. She learned more about herself and at the same time the audience got a glimpse of what Asperger's syndrome is like. Viewers could see that being diagnosed with any form of autism does not have to be a deterrent from chasing after one's dreams and doing whatever one is capable of.

The underlying cause of autism is continually being researched with the help of neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, autism foundations and other professionals in the field. Despite the challenges that one faces with any form of autism, they are like everybody else in so many ways. Children especially, regardless of whether they have autism, still love to do things that are fun and enjoyable such as playing, laughing, and spending time with family and friends.

It is important for everyday people to have some sort of understanding about this neurological disorder in order to further the incredible and promising advancements that have been accomplished. With more awareness, additional research and development will continue to be made, and, hopefully, a cure for autism can be found.

For more info on autism, check out these Web sites:

www.ninds.nih.gov

www.autismspeaks.org

www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism