| Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a spectrum | | | | There are a host of symptoms that children with |
| disorder, which means there are no particular | | | | autism might display. There are some early |
| symptoms for this condition. People suffering | | | | warning signs as well. These will differ from one |
| from ASD can exhibit a number of symptoms, | | | | child to another, and need to be confirmed |
| and each person with the condition will behave | | | | medically before the child can be called as an |
| differently from the other. Just as the causes of | | | | autistic child. Most of the children with autism will |
| ASD are debatable, there's no definite explanation | | | | be slow in understanding and reciprocating |
| of the symptoms either. That is the reason it | | | | language (won't be able to master one word by |
| becomes important to 'classify' people with ASD | | | | 16 months of age and two words by 24 months |
| on the basis of a spectrum, which is nothing but a | | | | of age). The child will not like to be cuddled or held |
| measure of the symptoms that they suffer. | | | | and will not cry or ask to be lifted. The child will |
| This spectrum runs from a low end to a high end. | | | | not play 'normally' with toys, or might be |
| Sufferers of ASD who exhibit numerous | | | | obsessed in arranging them in a particular manner. |
| symptoms, which take them quite far away in | | | | The child will not recognize people and will not |
| behavior from a normal person, are placed on the | | | | understand what they are telling him or her. There |
| lower end of the autism spectrum. The people | | | | may be times when it will appear that the child |
| who are placed on the higher end are the people | | | | has a hearing disability. |
| who show fewer symptoms of ASD. They are | | | | It is based on the presence of these symptoms |
| almost like other children as far as their behavior | | | | that children are placed on the autism spectrum, |
| is concerned. | | | | which decides their further course of treatment. |
| Thus, this spectrum is a way to understand how | | | | However, children who display one or more |
| mild or serious the patient's condition is. ASD is | | | | symptoms on this spectrum might become quite |
| generally identified in childhood, at around 3 years | | | | keen in other areas, which might actually make |
| of age. When identified, some analytical tests are | | | | them prodigies. For instance, a child who cannot |
| carried out by the medical personnel attending to | | | | understand language might develop a keen |
| the child. The first tests are an indication of | | | | understanding of music and become a child genius. |
| whether the child is suffering from ASD or not. | | | | What needs to be understood is that autism isn't |
| These results are not conclusive. If there's an | | | | the end of the road. The spectrum is just a |
| indication, further tests are carried out, with a | | | | measure of how different the child's behavior is |
| view to finding out exactly what symptoms of | | | | from that of other children around him. However, |
| autism the child displays. This is when the child is | | | | the child may be above normal in other areas, |
| placed on the spectrum, based on the kinds of | | | | which need to be identified. |
| symptoms he or she displays. | | | | |