TeachersAndFamilies Special Education Site

Autism - A Detailed Guide

Editor's Note: The information in this section has been adapted from the National Institute of Mental Health's publication Autism. It provides detailed information which will be useful for special education professionals. Segments of this guide could also be useful for parents and classroom teachers.

The pages in this guide are presented in sequence, in the following order:

What is Autism • Social Symptoms • Language Difficulties • Repetitive Behaviors • Sensory Symptoms • Unusual Abilities • Diagnosis • Accompanying Disorders • Treatment Options • Medications • Educational Options • Outgrowing Autism • How Families Cope

What is Autism?

Autism is a brain disorder that typically affects a person's ability to communicate, form relationships with others, and respond appropriately to the environment. Some people with autism are relatively high-functioning, with speech and intelligence intact. Others are mentally retarded, mute, or have serious language delays. For some, autism makes them seem closed off and shut down; others seem locked into repetitive behaviors and rigid patterns of thinking.

Although people with autism do not have exactly the same symptoms and deficits, they tend to share certain social, communication, motor, and sensory problems that affect their behavior in predictable ways.

Difference in the Behaviors of Infants With and Without Autism
Infants with Autism	Normal Infants
Communication
Avoid eye contact Seem deaf Start developing language, then abruptly stop talking altogether	Study mother's face Easily stimulated by sounds Keep adding to vocabulary and expanding grammatical usage
Social relationships
Act as if unaware of the coming and going of others Physically attack and injure others without provocation Inaccessible, as if in a shell	Cry when mother leaves the room and are anxious with strangers Get upset when hungry or frustrated Recognize familiar faces and smile
Exploration of environment
Remain fixated on a single item or activity Practice strange actions like rocking or hand-flapping Sniff or lick toys Show no sensitivity to burns or bruises, and engage in self-mutilation, such as eye gouging	Move from one engrossing object or activity to another Use body purposefully to reach or acquire objects Explore and play with toys Seek pleasure and avoid pain
NOTE: This list is not intended to be used to assess whether a particular child has autism. Diagnosis should only be done by a specialist using highly detailed background information and behavioral observations.

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Development of these resources was funded
by a grant from the NEC Foundation of America