Autism
What is autism?
Autism is a developmental disability that affects the way a child or adult communicates and relates to the people around them. People with autism have difficulties interacting socially and communicating, and impaired imagination. This affects their ability to develop friendships and their capacity to understand other people's feelings.
Today, 1 in 166 people is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than childhood cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to affect boys than girls
There is a fairly wide range of autistic conditions, which together are known as autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs). They involve different degrees of disability. Asperger’s syndrome, also known as high-functioning autism, is one of the most common. Although people with the syndrome have difficulty with social relationships and communicating, and have limited imagination, they usually have fewer problems with language than people with autism. They often speak fluently, though their words can sound rather formal or stilted. They do not have the learning disabilities that people with autism have; in fact, people with Asperger’s syndrome are often of average or above average intelligence and can show exceptional ability in some fields.
MRC research into autism
You can find in depth information about the autism research projects that we are currently funding as well as our research strategy into autism.