What are the key symptoms and behaviors persons with autism display?
• Severe impairments in their ability to interact and relate to other people (usually seeming oblivious and disinterested in building relationships with others). • An extremely limited understanding that other people have thoughts, feelings, and intentions that are separate from them. • May seem severely unresponsive to others, almost as if locked in their own world. • Deficits in communication are often noted (approximately half have no speech). • Limited interests and repetitive behaviors (such as becoming preoccupied with particular objects or toys or engaging in odd mannerisms such as flapping their hands or spinning objects). • Usually these deficits are noted before age 3.
