April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. It aims to better inform the general public about the realities of this brain development disorder.
Autism presents different forms, grouped together under the name Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which better reflects the great diversity of situations. Altered social relationships and communication (language and non-verbal communication, repetitive or stereotyped behaviors and speech) are among the main symptoms of autism. These symptoms generally appear in childhood and persist into adolescence and adulthood.
Servier has been active in the neuropsychiatric field for several decades. The research and development teams work both on neurodegenerative disorders, targeting the toxic proteins responsible for neuronal degeneration, and on neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, to provide innovative therapeutic solutions.
- The prevalence rate in the world population is around 1%
- It is estimated that about 50% of people with autism spectrum disorders also have an intellectual disability
- The first signs of autism spectrum disorders usually appear between 18 and 36 months of age
Lai MC, Lombardo MV, Baron-Cohen S. Autism. Lancet. 2014;383(9920):896-910.