Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin, Inc.

Autism is a lifelong neurological disorder that significantly affects how a person perceives the world, interacts with other people, and communicates.

It is often referred to as a “spectrum” disorder, meaning the symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe. Autism and its associated disabilities, Asperger Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) occur in approximately 1 out of every 91 individuals. Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls and knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries.

There is no single, specific known cause of autism. In many families there appears to be a pattern of autism or related disabilities - which suggests there is a genetic basis to the disorder - although no single gene has been directly linked to autism.

Autism is treatable. Early diagnosis, intervention, and a system of support are vital for the best quality of life.

Common Characteristics of People With Autism

Some children with autism spectrum disorders demonstrate a delay early in life while others appear to develop typically until the age of 18-30 months, when parents may notice delays or regression in language, play, or social interaction.

The following are characteristics frequently observed in people with autism:

• Communication: Language develops slowly or not at all. May display non-speech sounds, echolalia (mimicking words without any understanding of the meaning), may communicate with gestures or behaviors instead of words. Frustration with lack of speech is common.
• Sensory: May be very sensitive (hyper-sensitive) or very insensitive (hypo-sensitive) to sounds, textures, tastes, touch, and sights. May be unaware of various physical stimuli such as pain.
• Social: May prefer to spend time alone rather than with others. May not respond to his/her name, but is apparently aware of other sounds. May show lack of interest in peers, lack of eye contact, may seem unaware of others, may treat others as objects, may prefer parallel play rather than interactive play and display lack of imaginative play. May show limited understanding and responsiveness to social cues such as eye contact or smiles.
• Behavior: May be overactive or very passive. May not be interested in or object to being picked up or cuddled. May perseverate (show an obsessive interest in a single item, idea or person i.e. flapping hands, spinning, balancing, tiptoe walking, lining things up). May display a lack of sense of danger, show aggression to others or self. May be resistant to changes in routine.
• Play: May prefer to play alone or parallel play. May lack spontaneous or imaginative play, may not initiate pretend games, may prefer to use toys in odd ways i.e. lining them up or spinning the wheels on toy cars.
• Splinter Skills/Special Interests: May display great interest and/or talent in an area such as drawing, music, math, calendars, memory, computer or mechanical areas such as complex video/audio equipment. It is commonly believed that all persons with autism have a savant skill or “genius” in an area, such as the math abilities of the Dustin Hoffman character in the movie, “Rainman.” In reality, such savant skills are extremely rare. More often, persons with autism have a “special interest,” which can include obsession with unusual interests or items, such as string, fans, or train schedules.

Autism Checklist

Individuals with autism usually exhibit many, but not necessary all, of the traits listed below. These symptoms can range form mild to severe and may vary in intensity from symptom to symptom. In addition, the behavior usually occurs across many different situations and is consistently inappropriate for the child’s age.

• Insistence on sameness; resists changes in routine
• Severe language deficits
• Difficulty in expressing needs; uses gestures or pointing instead of words
• Repeats words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language
• Laughs, cries, or shows distress for reasons not apparent to others
• Prefers to be alone; aloof in manner
• Tantrums; displays extreme distress for no apparent reason
• Difficulty in socially mixing with others
• May not want to be touched or may not be physically affectionate
• Little or no eye contact or difficulty holding eye contact
• Unresponsive to standard teaching methods
• Sustained odd play
• Spins objects or self
• Inappropriate attachment to objects
• Apparent oversensitivity or undersensitivity to pain
• No real fear of dangers
• Noticeable physical overactivity or extreme underactivity
• Unresponsive to verbal cues; acts deaf although hearing tests normal