What are the characteristics of autism?
Autism is a spectrum disorder. The symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe. Although autism is defined by a certain set of characteristics, children and adults can exhibit any combination in any degree of severity. Two children, both with the same diagnosis, can act very differently from one another and have varying skills and needs. Every person with autism is an individual, and like all individuals, has a unique personality and combination of characteristics. Some individuals mildly affected may exhibit only slight delays in language and greater challenges with social interactions. The person may have difficulty initiating and/or maintaining a conversation. Communication is often described as talking at others (for example, monologue on a favorite subject that continues despite attempts by others to interject comments). Children with autism process and respond to information in unique ways. In some cases, ag
Although the degree of severity differs between individuals, the characteristic impairments include: Difficulties in understanding and engaging in social relationships Individuals with autism are often described as “being in their own world”. This conception comes from their inability to understand other people’s feelings and to develop friendships. They often avoid eye contact and resist physical contact. Some individuals have been described as showing almost no emotions while others appear to laugh, cry or go into tantrums for no apparent reason. Stereotyped and restrictive interests and behaviour Repetitive body movements such as hand flicking, spinning and rocking are among the behaviours most often observed in individuals with autism. Also, people affected with autism often need to engage in routines which, if disturbed, can be very upsetting and cause an important amount of distress. Play and imagination Children with autism often lack the ability to engage in imaginative play. F
The characteristics of autism vary from one person to another but are generally divided into three main groups. Difficulty with social communication “For people with autistic spectrum disorders, ‘body language’ can appear just as foreign as if people were speaking ancient Greek.” People with autism have difficulties with both verbal and non-verbal language. Many have a very literal understanding of language, and think people always mean exactly what they say. They can find it difficult to use or understand: • facial expressions or tone of voice • jokes and sarcasm • common phrases and sayings; an example might be the phrase ‘It’s cool’, which people often say when they think that something is good, but strictly speaking, means that it’s a bit cold. Some people with autism may not speak, or have fairly limited speech. They will usually understand what other people say to them, but prefer to use alternative means of communication themselves, such as sign language or visual symbols. Other
Individuals with autism display difficulties in three broad areas of development: social interactions, language and communication, and behavior. Other features that may be associated with ASDs include oversensitivity or undersensitivity to environmental stimuli (such as taste, texture, light, sound, touch, or pain), rigidity, hyperactivity, short attention span, aggressive or self-injurious behavior, tantrum behavior, sleeping/eating difficulties, or lack of awareness of dangerous situations.
