Autism is a neuropsychiatric childhood disorder characterized by severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development such as social interaction skills, communication skills and/or presence of stereotype behavior, interest and activities. The onset is usually within the first three years of life. [1]
Developmental regression among children with autism is a common phenomenon of unknown origin. Regression in language, social skills and play is usually observed between the first and third years of life. [2]
There has been an exponential rise in the prevalence of autism over the last 10 years. [3] Data released from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-national public health institute of the United States of America) in April 2012 placed the prevalence of autism in the U.S. at approximately 1 in 88 children. No data is available from India to provide an India-specific estimate of the prevalence. [4]