Autism is a general term for a group of complex disorders of brain development. The spectrum of autism is vast and its severity varies from person to person. Challenges associated with autistic disorder include difficulties with social interactions, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors. Autism has been a diagnosable disorder since 1951. Treatment options have changed since the first diagnosis. The treatment available today has progressed over the past sixty-three years and has become the best possible form of treatment available for autism. As the prevalence of autism continues to grow rapidly, there is evidence that autism is the fastest growing severe developmental disability in the world. the United States. “As of March 27, 2014, this surveillance study identified one in sixty-eight children (one in forty-two boys and one in one hundred and eighty-nine girls) as having autism spectrum disorder (ASD). » (DSM-IV, 2000). In the United States, eight hundred thousand people under the age of eighteen officially have autism spectrum disorder. Most children present with abnormalities during the first year of life; although most are diagnosed with autism between the ages of two and three. Boys are almost five times more likely than girls to have autism. However, women with this disorder are more likely to have severe mental retardation. There are “about seventy-five percent of autistic children who are mentally disabled; meaning their IQ ranges from thirty-five to fifty. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV, 2000), research suggests that only a small percentage of people with autistic disorders continue to live and work independently as adults. (DSM-IV, 2000)...... middle of paper ......l, and motor. (Autism Spectrum Disorder Health Center, 2009). Academic goals include learning new skills such as addition or subtraction. An IEP is intended to help improve social learning goals such as appropriate play skills, such as interacting with classmates during group activities. Behavioral skills developed with an IEP include learning advanced coping mechanisms, such as asking for help and replacing problem behaviors. Finally, the driving goals that an IEP helps achieve may include working on handwriting skills to continue academic progression. Children with special needs who attend the school system are considered “mainstreamed.” The integration process involves placing children with autism or other disorders in a mainstream school alongside “normal” children. This technique is used for children with autism to learn to adapt to certain situations and use these skills later in life..