Autism Spectrum Disorder- is Not one Disorder But Many of Them

[Christian Hanks]

Autism is a syndrome that comes from exhibiting certain combinations
or patterns of behavior. Low functioning autism is the term used to
describe autistic individuals that are not able to function or deal
with every day life. Normal to high functioning autism is used to
describe people that exhibit autistic behaviors that are in fact able
to deal with real world activities and normal day to day life. Many
people diagnosed with autism end up living in less then ideal
conditions. Autism is a developmental disorder, that affects many
areas of human function such as language, and the ability to
communicate. It affects self-help skills, coordination, and the
ability of an individual to learn. Autism is not a specific
developmental disorder such as dyslexia.
Affected Areas
There are several common traits that will aid in the diagnosis of
autism. These traits include, the tendency to stay in isolation or be
away from others. Autistic individuals will have a hard time making
friends and will seem very awkward in social situations. An autistic
person will very rarely look some else in the eye. They will be very
naive and easily swayed or manipulated. They are often quite gullible.
When an autistic person speaks they will often so so using very formal
language. They may speak in a monotone and their use of body language
may be very poor. (such as nodding "no" while saying "yes". Autistic
people will generally prefer common routines, they may be very literal
in their use of language and may remember and recite a lot of detail
without having a lot of understanding. They may also be hypersensitive
or hyposensitive, and have odd tastes in food and clothing. In some
cases, the symptoms are immediately noticeable while in others, the
symptoms may be very well hidden and not be easily identified even
after several meetings. Many that are diagnosed with autism spectrum
disorder lead very normal and active lives. Quite often they lead such
normal lives that they are often not initially diagnosed as children
but are diagnosed as young adults.
Autism is not Disabled
One common misconception is that persons diagnosed with autism
spectrum disorder are in fact disabled. This is definitely not the
case as their thought process are a little different from everyone
else not missing entirely. Individuals with an autism spectrum
disorder may not interact well with others and may not learn as easily
as other children do. The more severe the disorder is the more
difficulty the child will have in dealing with others.
Learning Is Key
Learning about autism spectrum disorders and how they affect people
lives will go a long way to helping teachers, siblings, parents, and
friends to cope with the disorder. In some cases it has been
demonstrated that with intense therapy and practice a person diagnosed
with this disorder can learn to 'fit in' and function normally with
the outside world. The key is to learn as much as we can in order to
help those who have it to live a normal and productive life.

Autism Causes, Symptoms and Treatments: http://www.autismnva.tk/