What is Autism

Autism is the term used to describe a group of complex brain disorders which develop gradually. These disorders are also known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) or Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC). At the high-end is the Asperger's syndrome, while at the low end is the classic autism. Autism spectrum disorders include Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Rett syndrome, Childhood disintegrative disorder and Fragile X syndrome. To understand what is autism, let us first take a look at the symptoms of autism.

Characteristics of Autism

In all types of autism, high functioning autism, low functioning autism and non-verbal speech disorder autism spectrum disorders, a delay in social and behavioral skills can be noticed. There are different levels of autism. Autism can be mild or profound, it can be obvious or subtle. You can easily notice autism characteristics like forgetfulness, mood swings, difficulty in interpreting and understanding instructions, no eye contact during communication, delayed sexual development and interest, etc. in children and adults suffering from the disorder.

Physical and Behavioral Characteristics of Autistic Children

• Obsessive focus and play with one toy excluding others
• Weird eating habits
• Lack of intuition, lack the motivation to please other people
• Inability to understand communication
• Limited or no attention to social stimuli, Lack of social understanding and nonverbal communication (body language)
• Blank faces, Seeing other people the same way they see other objects
• Not interested in sharing experiences, lack of desire for cuddling
• Stereotype or purposeless movement
• Poor motor skills and muscle tone
• Instances of self-injury, aggressiveness, throw tantrums, can be destructive
• Epilepsy and other kinds of seizures
• Difficulty in starting conversations, language impairment
• Lower response to name, unusual gestures and vocal patterns
• Perform repetitive routines and dislike changes, compulsive behavioral pattern
• Poor attention span, poor concentration
• Lack make-believe or pretend-play skills

Adults with Autism

Autism symptoms in adults include

• Difficulty in communicating verbally, difficulty in initiating a conversation
• No eye contact and no face to face communication
• No control over emotions, often throw tantrums like children
• Delayed sexual development and interest
• Difficulty sleeping
• Anxiety and depression
• Hyper or hypo sensitive to light, sound and crowds
• Forgetful and moody
• Lack of motor skills like those seen in writing, athletic coordination
• Cannot carry out activities that require coordination with other people
• Social awkwardness, communication problems
• Problem in managing the time, engage themselves in repetitive activities
• Passionate about one or more things, obsessive behavior
• Get agitated when the routine is disturbed

What Causes Autism

The exact cause of autism is not known. Scientists believe that genetic disposition is the main cause of autism. Problem in the neurotransmitters or brain chemicals is also believed to be the cause of autism. Neural developmental disorder, cognitive problems, environmental factors like heavy metals, drugs and other diseases along with genetic problems can result in autism. Alcohol or drug abuse during pregnancy, heavy smoking can cause autism. Not only a single gene but several genes can affect the development of a child in several ways, resulting in autism.

I hope the information provided in this article is sufficient to answer the question 'what is autism'. Counseling and family support play an important role in autism treatments. Children and adults with autism need a lot of attention. Statistics show that about 33% of the autistic people can lead life independently. The symptoms can be lowered and the intensity of the condition can be significantly reduced with the help of certain medications, special therapies and training sessions.