1. What is Autism? Can it be Cured? By: Alex Rodriguez

2. Autism Autism has been said to be a disorder that affects the brain in children and can affect their speech, social skills and actions. This can lead to different behavior toward music, actions or moods that are exposed to them. Autism affects many people as early as birth and it needs to be further researched to know what causes it.

3. What causes autism? Allergies? Recent studies have suggested that food allergies may cause or worsen Autism. Two specific food allergies are gluten and Casein .These two allergies have been specified to worsen the symptoms of Autism. These food are broken down into pesticides that are like narcotics to children with autism. Many other foods are blamed for worsening autism as well, including eggs, tomatoes, and eggplant. But allergy tests to these foods came out negative to being the main causes for autism. Therefore food allergies aren't the main cause of Autism.

4. Vaccines? There are two theories of vaccines leading to Autism the first theory suggests that the Mumps-Measles Rubella vaccine may have intestinal problems leading to the cause of Autism. Some parents claim that they saw their child react directly to the vaccine with autistic regression. But there are dis-beliefs in scientists that this is a direct cause of Autism. The second theory proposed is that a Mercury based product called thimerosal used in some vaccines can lead to a cause of Autism. But again there is no direct proof that this is the main cause of autism.

5. Different types of Autism….Kanner’s syndrome This particular type of autism was named after a Dr. Kanner. He described and studied it in the 1930s and into the 1940s. his is the well-known type of this condition that is very common. those with Kanner's have very limited emotional connection with anyone, and they are very into their own little world.

6. Continued.. They want everything to be the same all of the time, and this includes routine clothing, food, and television shows or movies. They can be deeply effected by noises, bright lights and smells. They are generally considered to be low functioning, but how well their mind works is largely unknown because of extremely poor social and communication

7. Rett’s Syndrome Rett’sSyndrome is a rare and relatively little-known type of autism, and it seems to only happen in girls. This condition is said to affect an estimated 1 in 10,000-22,000 females. These patients often have problems with muscle atrophy, and tend to do repetitive hand motions. They area almost always mentally retarded to some degree. These girls are very low functioning and will need care for most of their lives. In the late 1990s a gene that might cause this condition was found. The gene found was the MECP2 gene, which provides instructions for making a protein that is critical for normal brain development.

8. Treatments There are medicines and and treatments such as steroid and others that help with this disorder. With these treatments people are able to live with this disorder and some symptoms may not even be noticeable for you to think a child is autistic. Discovering a cure for this disorder is harder based on the unique traits in every person. A major treatment is Behavior analysis. For example, methods that use the principle of positive reinforcement to strengthen a behavior by arranging for it to be followed by something of value have been used to develop a wide range of skills in learners with and without disabilities).

9. Another treatment example.. Occupational Therapy can benefit a person with autism by attempting to improve the quality of life for the individual. The aim is to maintain, improve, or introduce skills that allow an individual to participate as independently as possible in meaningful life activities. Coping skills, fine motor skills, play skills, self help skills, and socialization are all targeted areas to be addressed. But with treatments there is still no specific cure for autism.

10. Conclusion Every 21 minutes another child is diagnosed with autism. It has become an epidemic in our nation. As many as one million Americans are currently living with some form of autism. The majority of these individuals diagnosed with autism will require lifelong supervision and care. Autism affects many people as early as birth and needs to be further researched. Yet people can live a regular life with this and it is a blessing due to the treatments that are given. But since there really isn't a direct and specific cause of Autism there is no way for sure to know how it can be cured. But given the information researchers have and the development they can make I believe this disorder can be treated to the point where it is noticeable to many as cured.

11. Work cited Gorrell, By Carin. "Living with Autism - Redbook." Sex Tips, Marriage Advice, Getting Pregnant, & Online Sweepstakes - Redbook. Web. 19 Dec. 2010. <http://www.redbookmag.com/kids-family/advice/living-with-autism>. "Autism and Vaccines - Do Vaccines Cause Autism." Autism - Signs, Symptoms, Treatments, Resources, Support for Autism. Web. 19 Dec. 2010. <http://autism.about.com/od/causesofautism/a/dovaccines.htm>. Home. Web. 19 Dec. 2010. <http://pathtochange.org/>."Five Types of Autism." Special Education, Learning Disabilities Resources for Special Needs. Web. 19 Dec. 2010. <http://www.iser.com/resources/autism-types.html>."Treatment Autism - Choose a Treatment for Autism." Autism - Signs, Symptoms, Treatments, Resources, Support for Autism. Web. 19 Dec. 2010. <http://autism.about.com/od/treatmentoptions/a/treatmentshub.htm>. "Asperger Syndrome." Autism Home Page. Web. 19 Dec. 2010. <http://autism.emedtv.com/asperger-syndrome/asperger-syndrome.html>.