| Autism is a brain disorder that begins in | | | | with an unknown origin. It is a |
| early childhood, usually within the first | | | | bioneurological disorder and not a mental |
| three years of life and persists throughout | | | | illness, which affects the functioning of the |
| adulthood. It affects crucial areas of | | | | brain. Some theories suggest that it may be |
| development and exhibits following symptoms | | | | caused by genetics, viral and/or chemical |
| like: | | | | exposure during pregnancy. Diagnosis is based |
| | | | on a list of psychiatric criteria as well as |
| ·learning difficulties i.e. he lacks in | | | | a series of standardized clinical tests are |
| ability to learn inductively from surrounding | | | | also used. |
| events, | | | | |
| | | | Surprisingly some autistic individuals may be |
| ·communication or speech problems, | | | | outstandingly good at some kinds of mental |
| | | | manipulations for example, arithmetical |
| ·difficulty relating to people, marked by | | | | calculations, music, drawing etc. |
| a lack of awareness of the feelings of | | | | |
| others, indifferent to parents | | | | With intense therapy, practice and schooling, |
| | | | some children diagnosed with autism can |
| ·lack of social interaction, | | | | improve their social and other skills to the |
| | | | point where they can fully participate in |
| ·short attention span, | | | | mainstream education and social events, but |
| | | | there are no indications that a cure from |
| ·not exhibiting creative or imaginative | | | | autism is possible with current technology or |
| play, | | | | advances in medicine. |
| | | | |
| ·performing actions that are often | | | | Asperger's syndrome and developmental delay |
| repetitive and unchanging like twirling | | | | syndromes are two of the related categories |
| objects or rocking, | | | | of Autism. These syndromes exist because of |
| | | | brain circuitry problems. |
| ·reacting extremely to changes in the | | | | |
| immediate environment. | | | | A key indicator to physicians making a proper |
| | | | assessment for autism would include looking |
| Autistic children appear to lack the ability | | | | for symptoms found in 'sensory integration |
| to see things from another person's | | | | dysfunction', where children will exhibit |
| perspective, a behavior cited as exclusive to | | | | problems such as oversensitivity or |
| human beings above the age of five and | | | | under-reactivity to touch, movement, sights, |
| possibly in some primates. | | | | or sounds; physical clumsiness; poor body |
| | | | awareness; a tendency to be easily |
| Autistic traits continue into adulthood, but | | | | distracted; impulsive physical or verbal |
| vary in severity. Some adults with autism do | | | | behavior; an activity level that is unusually |
| well, earning college degrees and living | | | | high or low; not unwinding or calming |
| independently. Others never develop the | | | | oneself; difficulty learning new movements; |
| skills of daily living, and may be | | | | difficulty in making transitions from one |
| incorrectly diagnosed with a variety of | | | | situation to another. Autistic people may |
| psychiatric illnesses. | | | | experience difficulty in hearing certain |
| | | | people's voice while others' are louder than |
| Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder | | | | usual. |