Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is known as a complex developmental disability. It is a broad-spectrum disorder. This means that no two people have exactly the same symptoms. It is "characterised, to varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication and repetitive behaviours". (Autism Speaks Inc., 2014) “Children with features of ASD may have co-occurring conditions, including fragile attention deficit disorder. Approximately 20-30% of children with ASD develop epilepsy by the time they reach adulthood.” (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2013) Autism usually presents during the early years. three years of a person's life. "The condition is the result of a neurological disorder that affects normal brain function, affecting the development of the person's communication and social interaction skills." (Nordqvist, 2013) "A mutation in the gene that codes for a protein, SynGAP1, severely disrupts the way developing brain circuits organize themselves during the first years of a human's life." (Nordqvist, 2013) Regulates the development of synaptic function. SynGAP1 is estimated to cause disability in approximately 1 million people worldwide (Nordqvist, 2013). It is known to be directly involved in increasing the risk of autism (Nordqvist, 2013). “Autism statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify approximately 1 in 88 American children as on the autism spectrum, a tenfold increase in prevalence in 40 years. Careful research shows that this increase is only partly explained by improved diagnosis... half of article ......n the synaptic scaffolding gene SHANK2 has been documented in autism. Additionally, the Reelin gene has been associated with autism. This gene helps in brain lamination during fetal life and helps in cell signaling in adult life (Mandal, 2014) Exposure to environmental agents such as infectious agents or chemicals (including drugs and environmental toxins) during pregnancy can cause autism. Viruses may also play a role in causing autism. “Infections that appear to be causally related to the development of autism include encephalitis caused by measles, congenital rubella, herpes simplex virus, mumps, chickenpox, and cytomegalovirus. Stealth virus”. (Mandal, 2014) Roles and responsibilities of speech-language pathologists in evaluating the diagnosis and treatment of acoustic spectrum disorders. It plays a fundamental role throughout life.