| The first signs of autism occur during the early | | | | develop certain rudimentary communication skills |
| infancy and the disorder is usually diagnosed by | | | | but these cannot really serve for an actual social |
| the age of three when parents are alarmed by | | | | interaction. Some words or phrases are used |
| the abnormal development of their child. Infants | | | | repetitively (echolalia) and their patterns of speech |
| mostly develop normally until the age of 2 when | | | | lack expression or intonation. |
| the growth as well as the mental development | | | | Usually these patients want to be alone and show |
| rapidly regresses. The autistic symptoms vary | | | | no interest to other people's presence. Resisting |
| from one patient to another, from mild to severe | | | | changes in their routine or repeating an action |
| forms. | | | | over and over again is a part of their daily |
| Between the first warning signs is the abnormal | | | | behavior. Autistic patients tend to flap their arms |
| response to different stimuli like light or sound. | | | | or turn in circles repetitively and with unknown |
| Noises may appear painful to them, smells are | | | | meaning. In severe distress periods they engage |
| overwhelmingly strong and touches are receipted | | | | in self-injurious actions like biting or scratching |
| as pains. Loud noises caused by vehicles or | | | | themselves, banging their heads. |
| machines, and very bright lights from different | | | | Warning signs in small children are their reject for |
| sources, trigger crises and inconsolable crying. | | | | cuddling or touching, often behavioral outbursts, |
| The most specific behavior for the autistic | | | | inexplicable attachment to some objects and the |
| patients is the indifference showed to the | | | | radical ignorance to many others. Autistic persons |
| surroundings and the satisfaction of playing and | | | | cannot maintain an actual eye-contact, they do |
| being alone. They show no real interest in toys | | | | not fear danger and show an under sensitivity |
| and are usually uninterested to interact with | | | | towards pain. Most of these children prove an |
| others, characteristics called in the medical | | | | abnormal sustained play combined with uneven |
| specialty as protodeclarative pointing. The activity | | | | motor skills. |
| level varies from an increase to reduction and | | | | In spite of all the efforts of parents and teachers, |
| autistic children resist cuddling. | | | | autistic children do not respond to normal teaching |
| Autistic patients laugh, cry or are feeling | | | | methods and verbal clues. They may give the |
| distressed for unapparent reasons and cannot | | | | impression of being deaf in spite of their normally |
| express their needs using the actual language. The | | | | developed hearing sense. |
| use different gesture instead of words to | | | | Signs and symptoms of autism increase the level |
| express their wishes, as the impaired language | | | | of severity during the teenage years but seem to |
| development is obvious. | | | | decrease during adulthood. |
| Patients with high functioning autism manage to | | | | |