Autism is a complex, behaviorally defined, static disorder of the immature brain that is of
great concern to the practicing pediatrician because of an astonishing 556% reported
increase in pediatric prevalence between 1991 and 1997, to a prevalence higher than that
of spina bifida, cancer, or Down syndrome. This jump is probably attributable to heightened
awareness and changing diagnostic criteria rather than to new environmental influences.
Autism is not a disease but a syndrome with multiple nongenetic and genetic causes. By …