One in sixty-eight children in the United States has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), representing a 30% increase from 2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Autism is more common than childhood cancer, cystic fibrosis and multiple sclerosis combined (Ana Maria Rodriguez, Autism Spectrum Disorders). A common sign of autism is difficulty with social interaction. Autism impairs society by making it difficult to interpret the emotions of others, failing to understand social cues, and inhibiting the ability to initiate or continue conversations. According to Elaine Landau in the book Autism, autistic children do not react to situations in the same way as other children and slowly develop their language skills. Autism is not just a single disorder; it is a spectrum of neurological disorders. There are five widely recognized pervasive disorders. These are classic autistic disorder, Asperger's syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Rett disorder. Signs of autism usually appear between 18 months and 6 years of age and are usually diagnosed by age 3. In the early days of autism, it was thought to be caused by indifferent and uncaring mothers, or refrigerated mothers. Autistic children were thought to be psychotic, unresponsive, or suffer from schizophrenia. The theories of Leo Kanner (one of the first to conduct research on autism), Hans Asperger and Bruno Bettelheim, among others, have been widely accepted by society. Many believed that if autistic children could not be “controlled,” they should be institutionalized. Today we know a lot more about autism and how it has no place in institutions, which proves that many of the early theories are inaccurate, but halfway through the article. .....: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Np, and Web. May 4, 2014. “Data and Statistics.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, March 24, 2014. Web. May 5, 2014.Freedman, Jeri. Autism. New York, NY: Rosen Pub., 2009. Print. Grandin, Temple and Sean Barron. The unwritten rules of social relations. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons, 2005. Print. Landau, Elaine. Autism. New York: Franklin Watts, 2001. “POV” print. PBS. PBS and Web. May 5, 2014.Rodriguez, Ana Maria. Autism spectrum disorders. Minneapolis, MN: 21st Century, 2011. Print. “Social skills and autism”. Autism speaks. Np, and Web. May 9, 2014. Volkmar, Fred R. and David Pauls. "Autism." The Lancet 362.9390 (2003): 1133-41. ProQuest. Internet. May 6, 2014. “What is autism?” » Autism speaks. Np, and Web. May 05 2014.