Brain as the house of autistic soul: current trends in analyzing the risk factors and building up the diagnosis in mild forms of autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

The number of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has significantly increased over the last few years. On the one hand, this surge may be associated with increased awareness of this entity and the greater availability of diagnostic tools. On the other hand, influence of factors believed to cause or facilitate ASD development (including environment pollution, stress of modern civilization, brain trauma and use of drugs) could have a negative impact on individuals in the phase of their social and psychological development. Due to the increasing problem, more and more attention is being focused on early detection of ASD, what allows to intervene at the earliest time point. In consequence, the quality of life of ASD-affected people may be significantly improved if diagnosed early. In this review, the list of possible risk factors for ASD is critically appraised and some "pearls for practice", helping in early diagnosis of even mild ASD are outlined.