Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. It is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Today, 1 in 110 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines. Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe.
- Autism is a innate contact disorder Normally, infants early after birth orientate towards the human face and voice and respond to voices and facial expression. Autistic children cannot interpret another person's face and do not imitate as automatically.
· This is the reason why later in life they are not able to share attention and experiences with others. Much experience is missed that way. Early learning is usually passed from person to person by imitation. The basis of socialization is contact and imitation.
· Difficulty in seeing another person's perspective, in understanding the thoughts and intentions of others. There are researchers who believe the basic cause of this is a difficulty in shifting attention. The same attention-shifting difficulty would also lead to the ritualistic behaviors and the difficulties in managing change; difficulty in interrupting one activity and changing to another. · Central coherence = does not automatically look for the meaning of what is going on.
· Detailed vision. The world consists of isolated details and not a coherent inner map.
· Processes information a piece at a time. Has a difficulty with information consisting of several parts.
· Has a difficulty with void time when nothing happens as well as changing from one activity to another.
Traits:
Persons with autism may also exhibit some of the following traits:
- Insistence on sameness; resistance to change
- Difficulty in expressing needs, using gestures or pointing instead of words
- Repeating words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language
- Laughing (and/or crying) for no apparent reason; showing distress for reasons not apparent to others
- Preference to being alone; aloof manner
- Tantrums
- Difficulty in mixing with others
- Not wanting to cuddle or be cuddled
- Little or no eye contact
- Unresponsive to normal teaching methods
- Sustained odd play
- Spinning objects
- Obsessive attachment to objects
- Apparent over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to pain
- No real fears of danger
- Noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity
- Uneven gross/fine motor skills
- Non-responsive to verbal cues; acts as if deaf, although hearing tests in normal range
There are various symptoms that can suggest Autism.
1. person tends to keep to themselves
2. has trouble communicating
3. doesn't understand body language
4. has difficulty understanding other people's feelings
5. everything has to be "just so"
6. Stick very rigidly to a daily schedule.
7. tends to look like they're not listening, even when they are
8. very repetitive motions
9. limited or no speech
10. is very logical about everything
11. finds it hard to adjust to change
12. does things like stacking cans, or putting coins into neat piles
13. doesn't like physical contact
14. tends to drift into their own world a lot, and not hear when they are being spoken to
15. Speech impediment
