Notecard #3

McGrath, Kimberly and Travers, Bridget. "Autism." World of Scientific Discovery. Ed. Online ed. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2007. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. John Carroll School. 17 Sep. 2008. <http://find.galegroup.com/%3E.

• Autism is caused by a neurological disorder which interferes with normal brain functioning.
  
• Autism is the third most common developmental disability, more common than Down syndrome.
  
• Both twins will have autism if they are identical (because of a 100% gene overlap), while fraternal twins or siblings will half the time (with a 50% gene overlap).
  
• Autism is not a mental illness.
  
• The specific cause of autism is not yet known.

Direct Quote:

• “Biochemically, abnormal levels of serotonin, cerebrospinal fluid, and beta-endorphins have been found in the autistic brain.”