| Autisim Spectrum Disorder | | | | Spectrum Disorder |
| Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a spectrum | | | | There are a host of symptoms that children with |
| disorder, which means there are no particular | | | | autism might display. There are some early warning |
| symptoms for this condition. People suffering from | | | | signs as well. These will differ from one child to |
| ASD can exhibit a number of symptoms, and each | | | | another, and need to be confirmed medically before |
| person with the condition will behave differently from | | | | the child can be called as an autistic child. Most of the |
| the other. Just as the causes of ASD are debatable, | | | | children with autism will be slow in understanding and |
| there's no definite explanation of the symptoms | | | | reciprocating language (won't be able to master one |
| either. That is the reason it becomes important to | | | | word by 16 months of age and two words by 24 |
| 'classify' people with ASD on the basis of a spectrum, | | | | months of age). The child will not like to be cuddled |
| which is nothing but a measure of the symptoms | | | | or held and will not cry or ask to be lifted. The child |
| that they suffer. | | | | will not play 'normally' with toys, or might be |
| This spectrum runs from a low end to a high end. | | | | obsessed in arranging them in a particular manner. |
| Sufferers of ASD who exhibit numerous symptoms, | | | | The child will not recognize people and will not |
| which take them quite far away in behavior from a | | | | understand what they are telling him or her. There |
| normal person, are placed on the lower end of the | | | | may be times when it will appear that the child has a |
| autism spectrum. The people who are placed on the | | | | hearing disability. |
| higher end are the people who show fewer | | | | It is based on the presence of these symptoms that |
| symptoms of ASD. They are almost like other | | | | children are placed on the autism spectrum, which |
| children as far as their behavior is concerned. | | | | decides their further course of treatment. However, |
| Thus, this spectrum is a way to understand how mild | | | | children who display one or more symptoms on this |
| or serious the patient's condition is. ASD is generally | | | | spectrum might become quite keen in other areas, |
| identified in childhood, at around 3 years of age. | | | | which might actually make them prodigies. For |
| When identified, some analytical tests are carried out | | | | instance, a child who cannot understand language |
| by the medical personnel attending to the child. The | | | | might develop a keen understanding of music and |
| first tests are an indication of whether the child is | | | | become a child genius. |
| suffering from ASD or not. These results are not | | | | What needs to be understood is that autism isn't the |
| conclusive. If there's an indication, further tests are | | | | end of the road. The spectrum is just a measure of |
| carried out, with a view to finding out exactly what | | | | how different the child's behavior is from that of |
| symptoms of autism the child displays. This is when | | | | other children around him. However, the child may be |
| the child is placed on the spectrum, based on the | | | | above normal in other areas, which need to be |
| kinds of symptoms he or she displays. Autisim | | | | identified. |