الفهرس 
AutismOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 223 |  |  |
| | | from | 223 | | |
Abstract
I-Summary &conclusion Autism is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder that usually develops in the first 3 years of life, it is characterized by impairments in social interactions, language and repetitive stereotypical behaviors. These signs often develop gradually, though some autistic children showed deterioration in their communication skills as well as social interactions after normal developmental milestones. Autism is a spectrum condition known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as autistic patients have wide variation in type and severity of symptoms. Approximately 0.6–1.0% occurrence in the general population, along with a 4:1 male: female ratio. The exact etiology of autism is unknown; however, ASD is multi-factorial and both genetic and environmental factors such as environmental toxicant exposure and maternal intake of valproic acid and thalidomide during pregnancy contribute to its development. Current available pharmacotherapeutic options of autism are only symptomatic with various side effects, risperidone and aripiprazole are the only two psychotropic drugs that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of autistic children. However, they fail to improve the core behavioral alterations of autism. Furthermore, considerable limitations are associated with their long term therapy, so there is an urgent need for development of new and safe disease modifying therapies that target the underlying pathophysiology of the disease with minimal side effects.