Today the number of children with Autism in Los Angeles and across the globe is estimated to be approximately 3-6 in 1,000. According to a survey completed in 2005 an additional 3,000 children per year are diagnosed in California alone with some form of autism before they reach the age of 13. The number of children suffering from this disorder seems to be on the rise. The medical community is unsure of whether these rising numbers are caused by doctors being able to more accurately diagnose this disorder or it is becoming more prevalent. For those with children who have been diagnosed with Autism in Los Angeles, the first question most ask is "What is autism and why does my child have it?" In scientific terms autism is one member of a family of serious developmental disorders known as autism spectrum disorders that usually manifests itself in children under the age of 3. It occurs with varying levels of severity, but in all cases it will affect the child's ability to interact and communicate with the rest of the world. In more simple terms those children with Autism in Los Angeles are more likely to have a problem being able to talk to others especially those they do not know and may not be capable of talking to other people in general.
Most kids with autism tend to keep their own company and require special help when it is necessary to communicate with other people. At the same time these children tend to have problems reacting with the sounds and events that go on around them, many noises bother children with autism and they may cover their ears or react to being touched. The most noticeable problem for children with Autism in Los Angeles is their inability to interact with others, however there are other problems such as the inability for them to make the same connections between thoughts and actions that most other kids take for granted. For the child with autism it can be very difficult to connect the fact that a person is smiling with the thought that they are smiling because they are happy and being friendly.
The typical child in Los Angles with autism has a disorder that affects them to the point where their brain simply cannot make sense of the world around them. The everyday sensory inputs we take for granted such as sounds, sights and smell become garbled or confused and can make it difficult to function in the world. Some children are mildly affected and can learn to adapt to their disorder and function in the world, while others are severely affected and will require constant assistance throughout their lives. If you have a child in Los Angeles with autism, there is help available that can help you learn how to cope with the disorder and to help your child develop the skills needed to learn how to interact with the rest of the world. At the Sensory Research Center your child will be enrolled in their ISP or Individualized Sensory Program that uses a combination of phototherapy, auditory training and other techniques to help them relearn how to process the information we take for granted.