What Are the Types of Pervasive Developmental Disorders?
Autism is a brain disorder that affects children within the first 3 years of life. Sometimes these children may appear to develop normally for a time in early infancy. The word “autism” comes from the Greek word meaning “self.” It was chosen for the disorder because of the characteristic self-absorption of people who have it. Indeed, children with autism appear to live in a world of their own, often seeming not even to notice members of their own family around them. They seldom make eye contact with other people or share their interests. Children with autism are socially isolated. Their social problems are made worse by the fact that their language skills usually do not develop normally. Some children may never learn to talk. Others may talk, but they use language inappropriately, perhaps simply repeating the words of others or reversing the meanings of “I” and “you.” They may repeat certain behavior, such as hand-flapping or body-rocking, over and over for no apparent purpose. Asperge
