What are the symptoms of autism?
Children with autism often appear relatively normal in their development until the age of 24-30 months, when parents may notice delays in language, play or social interaction. The following areas are among those which may be affected by autism: • Communication: language develops slowly or not at all; use of words without attaching the usual meaning to them; communicates with gestures instead of words; short attention spans. • Social Interaction: spends time alone rather than with others; shows little interest in making friends; less responsible to social cues such as eye contact or smiles. • Sensory Impairment: unusual reactions to physical sensations such as being overly sensitive to touch or under-responsive to pain; sight, hearing, touch, pain, smell, taste may be affected to a lesser or greater degree. • Play: lack of spontaneous or imaginative play; does not imitate others actions; doesn’t initiate pretend games. • Behaviors: may be overactive or very passive; throw frequent tantr
