The characteristics of autism and the degree of the severity experienced by each individual may vary, however, most individuals with autism exhibit symptoms in some or all of the following areas
For many children with Autism, the development of language is slow. Some children with ASD’s may develop fluent language skills, while others may have only a little speech or none at all. Some may even develop language skills and then lose them later on.
Even if a person with autism has fluent speech, he or she may understand only the literal meaning of words, rather than understanding their social meanings. For example, they may provide a long and detailed answer to the question “how are you?” when asked by a stranger.
Some people with autism may use gestures and pointing instead of using words to communicate; or they may just stand or sit by an object, waiting for someone to figure out what they want. A teen with autism, for instance, may stand by an elevator in a public building, waiting for a caregiver to remember the exit is one floor down.
They may use others as tools to help them accomplish things. For example, a child may put his mother’s hand on a doorknob instead of turning it himself.
People with autism may have difficulty understanding non-verbal communications such as gestures (waving goodbye, shrugging shoulders) or facial expression (smiling, frowning, raising eyebrows).
Individuals with autism may use echolalia, repeating the same words that were just spoken to them to try to communicate. For instance, a child who is asked “Do you want candy?” may respond “Do you want candy?” instead of saying “yes”.
People with autism may have difficulty understanding and using pronouns such as “I”, “me”, or “you”. For instance, a person with autism may refer to himself in the third person saying “Thomas wants a drink”, rather than “I want a drink”.
People with ASDs may not understand the concept of an appropriate conversational space. They may stand too close or too far away when talking.
People with ASDs may not understand the back and forth quality of conversation. They may talk at length about a topic of interest without waiting for or appearing interested in a response.
People with Autism Spectrum Disorders often have difficulty developing “normal” relationships with others. They may appear to “tune out” the world around them.
Many people with ASDs have trouble making eye contact. They may avoid it all together, or may prefer to use peripheral vision when looking at others. Some are unable to respond verbally in conversation while looking at the individual to whom they are speaking.
People with ASDs may find touch painful and may resist or avoid hugs, kisses, or other physical gestures of affection.
Children with ASD may not develop typical interactive play patterns with peers, preferring to play by themselves in unusual and solitary ways. They may be more comfortable interacting with adults than with other children.
People with ASD do not appear to understand social situations or the emotions of others, and may appear to be unemotional themselves. In contrast, they become extremely upset when exposed to another person’s strong emotions. Individuals with autism who have written about their experiences stress that they do experience a range of emotions including extreme stress, although it may not be apparent.
People with ASD who have trouble expressing or controlling emotions and excitement, may use behaviors such as making loud or obnoxious noises, head-banging, jumping, or hand-flapping that interfere that can social interaction.
When individuals with ASD are interested in others, they may not behave in an appropriate manner. For example, a non-verbal individual wanting to connect with other boys his own age may blink his eyes rapidly or make loud noises, rather that using language or appropriate gestures to show his interest. A verbal individual may not be able to read the situation accurately and may use inappropriate language.
Individuals with ASD may have extreme difficulty developing friendships, and often experience loneliness.
Individuals with ASDs may have unusual responses to other people, objects or situations. An individual may greet a new person, for instance, by sniffing her or him rather than with appropriate words or gestures.
Children with autism do not play with toys in a typical fashion. They may line up toys repeatedly, organize them, or take them apart.
Many children with autism do not appear to engage in imaginative play, pretending, or imitative play. For example, they may never pretend to be the mommy and cuddle the “baby”, or be the daddy and drive the car. They may repeat unusual body movements such as rocking, hand-flapping, finger-flicking, head-banging, running back and forth along a straight line, or inappropriate laughter.
Some people with ASDs may have unusual posture or may have unusual ways of moving, such as toe walking or unusual gaits when walking or running.
People with ASDs may seem obsessed with certain objects such as water, buses, elevators, calculators, etc.
People with Autism may also find it difficult to cope with unfamiliar situations or when a familiar person appears out of context. For instance, a child may reject a beloved teaching assistant who appears in the child’s home.
Individuals with ASDs may insist on certain routines and become extremely upset if these routines are broken. A child may become upset to the point of meltdown, for example, if his usual dressing routine is not followed.
Because people with autism are not able to make sense of the world in the usual fashion, they may be very active and easy to excite; or they may be extremely passive. They may be intensely anxious or may not seem as anxious as they should in certain situations.
In circumstances that usually call for some degree of anxiety, individuals with autism may not show any signs of fear. For instance, some individuals may not pay attention to traffic when crossing a busy road. Others may not show an appropriate degree of caution around fire or cold.
Children and adults with autism may have difficulties processing the information they get though one or all of their senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch, balance, and weight. Some sensory experiences can be very overwhelming for people with autism, while they may continually seek out other experiences. Some professionals think that sensory integration difficulties are at the base of some behaviors common to people with autism.
Children and adults with sensory sensitivities may react differently to a variety of sensory situations. Touch may actually be so painful that individuals shy away from physical expressions of affection; rough fabrics may be particularly irritating. The flicker of fluorescent lights may be extremely bothersome. Loud or high-pitched sounds, even if they are at a distance or virtually inaudible to others, may be extremely distressing for someone with autism. For instance, applause may be overwhelming, as may the intense array of subtle sounds in a supermarket, or an extremely high-pitched sound in the background of a tape recorder. Many people with autism react strongly to the smell, taste, and texture of foods, causing them to exist on an extremely limited and bland diet.
In some cases, it is difficult for individuals with autism to distinguish which sounds or sights they should pay attention to. A child who has an ASD may fail to respond to words or sounds, while also being extremely distressed by an everyday noise such as a garbage truck driving by or an airplane approaching from miles away.
Some children and adults may also show an apparent insensitivity to pain and a lack of responsiveness to cold or heat, or may over-react to any of these.
