SOME 22 children born each in Ireland suffer primary a disorder which at the communication and employment patterns of children.
The disorder can affect any of the child's senses speech touch, taste, sight or sound as well as the ability to socialise or understand other people.
The actual cause of the disorder is unknown but current search suggest a biochemical fault in the brain.
Neurotransmitter in the brain to code and decode miss leaving the child born with sounds and he or she cannot prop process.
The disorder becomes obvious in the first 36 months of when parents notice the remains aloof, indifferent and disinclined to cuddles or displays of emotion.
Cognitive skills do not develop as soon as they should, and interaction with people and toys is delayed. Autistic children will play or fiddle with toy cars but have difficulty reproducing the sound and motion of a real car.
The chief executive of the Irish Society for Autistic Children, Mr Pat Mathews, said there are varying degrees of the disorder. Sometimes the condition worsens, but intensive teaching and assistance can bring about improvement.
"Ever? child is capable of learning. It is difficult for them, but they have the capability to learn, usually in a one to one situation. You have to teach social skills as things like eye contact are very difficult for many of the children," said Mr Mathews, who is also the father of a 28 year old autistic man.
A trait common to autistics is an inability to deal with change. According to Mr Mathews, the children can learn one skill in one room, but are unable to repeat that skill in another room where the environment has changed and the wall colours are different. He said Christmas was a particularly stressful time as people moved into different rooms, food changed, trees and presents appeared. The frustration and inability to understand often leads to tantrums.
"The behaviour can be quite challenging. It can be particularly exasperating" for, parents in the secluded parts of Ireland where there is no other child with autism.
"That is particularly difficult because the support system in does not exist, and who is there to help the parents cope with the problem? It can be really shattering," said Mr Mathews.
As in the film Rain Man, some autistics have savant capabilities which allows them to obsessively learn details such as airline times tables. The level of intelligence varies from one child to the next. Some also suffer a mental handicap, and up to 30 per cent develop epilepsy during adolescence.
"You do not see autism and that is one of the difficulties for parents. They take out this handsome child who throws tantrums because he doesn't want to get on the bus, and people say Spoilt child give him a clip around the ear. But it is all the silly little things that can cause tremendous anxiety to an autistic child," said Mr Mathews.
He said there was little collated data on the extent of autism in Ireland. In 1994, the Department of Health published one of few official documents on the subject.
Since its publication, the Eastern Health Board has conducted a survey and found 290 autistic people aged between 4 and 25 years of age. The Western Health Board found 100 people of similar age in its area. Mr Mathews said the other areas had yet to return statistics.
He said there was a dearth of facilities and funding for autistic children, but there is a pilot scheme for two schools in Dublin and Clare.
The first will be a dedicated development centre in Beechpark, Stillorgan, Co Dublin, and the second a stream for six autistic children in a school in Cratloe, Co Clare.
From a physical and medical point of view, autistic people should not die any younger than the average person. But many lack the necessary social and survival skills, leaving them vulnerable to accidents and mishaps.