Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism spectrum disorder has become the most common neurological and developmental disorder diagnosed in children today. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012) estimates that 1 in 88 American children have been correctly diagnosed. There is no known cure for autism, and the inconsistencies of autism symptoms in each case make it difficult to pinpoint a particular set of effective treatments. However, some behavior management therapies, particularly physical therapy, can help significantly control unwanted symptoms in young children with autism spectrum disorder. Children begin to show symptoms of autism as early as twelve months of age, making the typical age of diagnosis two to three years old. The symptoms of autism are truly diverse, hence the name, meaning no two children are affected by the disorder in the same way. However, autism symptoms are generally classified into three core areas of impairment, the first of which is sociability. Most children with autism have difficulty understanding basic social situations. A child with autism likely maintains little eye contact, is unresponsive to other people in his or her environment, and reacts inappropriately when others show extreme emotions. It is common for children with autism to misinterpret emotional signals because they focus on a person's mouth while speaking instead of on their eyes as an unaffected person would. Likewise, people may have difficulty understanding the emotions of an autistic child. Many times their body language or tone of voice doesn't match the emotion they are trying to express. The second area of ​​compromise is communication. Children with autism…half of paper…#pub12Nicholson, H., Kehle, TJ., Bray, MA., & Heest, J. (2011). The effects of antecedent physical activity on the academic engagement of children with autism spectrum disorder. Psychology in Schools, 48(2), 198-213. Ospina, MB., Krebs, SJ., Clark, B., Karkhaneh, M., Hartling, L., et al. (2008). Behavioral and developmental interventions for autism spectrum disorder: a systematic clinical review. PLoS ONE, 3(11). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19015734Petrus, C., Adamson, SR., Block, L., Einarson, SJ., Sharifnejad, M., & Harris, SR. (2008) Effects of exercise interventions on stereotyped behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder. Physiotherapy Canada, 60(2), 134-145. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2012) Autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html