April 2nd, 2011 12:01 AM ET Four years after the first United-
Nation-declared World Autism Awareness Day, the cause of the
developmental disorder is still unknown and there is no cure.
Autism affects an average of 1 in 110 children in the United
States, according to the latest estimates from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. Children with autism spectrum
disorders have disabilities that can cause significant social,
communication and behavioral challenges. Symptoms can vary from
mild to severe and can surface when babies are as young as 12
months, but often become obvious at around age 2. Diagnosing
children as early as possible can lead to early intensive
therapy which can sometimes lead to significant improvements in
a child’s life. Perhaps highest profile event related to autism
since the last Autism Day was the British Medical Journal’s
January publication of a three-part study deconstructing and
declaring “fraudulent” the controversial 1998 research of Dr.
Andrew Wakefield. Wakefield’s stud