What are the Most Common Symptoms of Autism?
Most medical specialists agree that the cause of autism is unknown but there are common symptoms or signs to determine if your child is autistic. The areas which may be affected by autism are the following:
1. Communication - An autistic child's language develops in a slow phase or not at all. He uses words without attaching the usual meaning to them. The child indicates needs by gesture. He merely use gestures instead of words. His attention span is also quite short. The autistic child often acts as if deaf.
2. Social Interaction - The person often has standoffish manner. He spends more time alone rather than with others. It is difficult for him to mix with other children. Autistic children show no response to social cues such as eye contact or smiles. Inappropriate laughing and giggling are common characteristics.
3. Sensory Impairment - Their sense of sight, hearing, touch (pain), smell, taste may be affected to a lesser or greater degree.
They usually have no fear of real dangers. They could either be under-responsive to pain or overly-sensitive to touch. Most autistic children don't want to be hugged.
4. Play - Children with autism often lack spontaneity and imagination during play. They could sometimes sustain odd play. They usually don’t imitate others' actions.
5. Behaviors - Autistic children are too often characterised by marked physical overactivity. They could be over-active or very passive. They like to spin objects. They have frequent tantrums for no apparent reason. They also show inappropriate attachments to objects. They stick with one single object, idea or person. Most children with autism are not gifted with common sense. They often resist learning. They could be aggressive or violent to others or to themselves. Resistance to change in routine is a common characteristic.
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