The United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day to highlight the need to contribute to improving the quality of life of people with autism, so that they can lead a full and rewarding life as an integral part of society.

Although the term “autism” first appeared around 1911, very little was known or medically researched about Autism Spectrum Disorder until the late 20th century. Today, new discoveries and advances continue to be made to help people on the spectrum reach their full potential. Additionally, World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD), on April 2 each year, shines a bright light on a growing global health crisis.

Here we tell you 15 facts about autism:

1. Autism Spectrum Disorder now affects 1 in 68 children. Boys are almost 5 times more likely to be diagnosed with ASD than girls.
2. The term comes from the Greek word autos which means "self" , autism literally means "alone".
3. The sooner autism spectrum disorder is diagnosed and treated, the better. Children's life outcomes improve significantly with early diagnosis and treatment.
4. Parents do not and cannot cause autism spectrum disorder. Although multiple causes of ASD are not known, it is known that parental behavior before, during, and after pregnancy does not cause ASD.
5. People with autism spectrum disorder have communication deficits. It is important to distinguish between spoken language and social communication deficits.
6. Being nonverbal at age 4 does not mean that children with autism spectrum disorder will never speak . Research shows that most will learn to use words and almost half will learn to speak fluently.
7. Children and adults with autism spectrum disorder often worry deeply but lack the ability to spontaneously develop typical empathetic and socially connected behavior . People with ASD often desire to interact socially but lack the ability to spontaneously develop effective social interaction skills.
8. If an identical twin has autism spectrum disorder, there is a 60-96% chance that the other twin has some form of ASD. Although fraternal twins have a lower chance of both having ASD, if one has ASD, the other has up to a 24% chance.
9. Each child with autism spectrum disorder is a unique individual; People with ASD differ as much from each other as all people do. Children and adults with ASD can talk or interact with others . They can have good eye contact. They can be verbal or non-verbal. They may be very bright, of average intelligence, or have cognitive deficits.
10. People with autism spectrum disorder can be very creative and find a passion and talent for music, theatre, art, dance and singing quite easily.
11. Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton , Andy Warhol, and Bill Gates are widely speculated to be on the autism spectrum.
12. Researchers and doctors hypothesize that the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder in men and women may differ , leading many women to not be diagnosed in a timely manner.
13. Gender differences in symptoms have been found within the areas of social understanding, social communication, and social imagination.
14. Women with autism spectrum disorder remain an understudied group in research.
15. Many people with autism spectrum disorder live and work successfully and contribute to the well-being of others in their local communities . This is more likely to happen when appropriate services are provided during the child's educational years.

As we have seen, World Autism Awareness Day was declared by the UN General Assembly on April 2, with the intention of raising awareness about this condition, combating discrimination and highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and appropriate methods . appropriate intervention measures to improve the quality of life of autistic children and adults .