ASACV - What is Autism?

What is Autism?

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. Autism is a neurological disorder that impairs the development of a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Individuals with autism may exhibit a wide range of symptoms including but not limited to insistence to sameness, severe language deficits, tantrums, inappropriate displays of emotion, little or no eye contact, sustained odd play, lack of fear to danger, and repetition of words or phrases in lieu of normal responsive language. Since autism is a spectrum disorder, these traits may range from mild to severe and vary in intensity and combination of symptoms. The rate of occurrence has risen to 1 in 150 births and is four times more prevalent in boys than girls and knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries. Family income, lifestyle, and educational levels do not affect the chance of autism's occurrence.

Autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Children and adults with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. The disorder makes it hard for them to communicate with others and relate to the outside world. In some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present. Persons with autism may exhibit repeated body movements (hand flapping, rocking), unusual responses to people or attachments to objects and resistance to changes in routines. Individuals may also experience sensitivities in the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste.

Over one half million people in the U.S. today have autism or some form of pervasive developmental disorder. Its prevalence rate makes autism one of the most common developmental disabilities. Yet most of the public, including many professionals in the medical, educational, and vocational fields, are still unaware of how autism affects people and how they can effectively work with individuals with autism.