Life expectancy: Autism itself doesn't affect life expectancy but research has shown that the mortality risk among people with Autism is twice as high as general population. (due to wandering, drowning, and other accidents)

 

Related conditions: People with autism often have other conditions along with Autism. Some of those related conditions include alleries, asthma, feeding disorders, anxiety, bipolar disorder, Tourette Syndrome, OCD, sensory integration dysfunction, and many more. 

 

Cause: The exact cause of autism is not known yet but recent studies strongly suggest that some people have a genetic predisposition to autism, which means that a susceptibility to develop the condition may be passed on from parents to children. Researchers are looking for clues about which genes contribute to this increased vulnerability. In some children, environmental factors may also play a role. It is generally accepted that autism caused by abnormalities in brain structure or function.

 

According to recent studies, ASD affects one in 68 children. (Makin)

 

According to Simon Makin, autism is so complex, that some estimate that the number of genes associated may top 1,000.