Autism

[Name of the Institute]

Autism

Introduction

Autism is the neurological disorder which can last throughout the entire life time of an individual's life, as it is a permanent condition. It is a combination of specific conditions which vary drastically in severity and the signs of the disorder can be observed in the childhood stage (Scheuermann et Al, 2003). It is referred to as the developmental disability, because it appears in the patients, before the age of three. The disorder is responsible for causing extended delays or dilemmas in the formation of several skills and body functions of the patients, as they grow from their infancy period to adulthood. Autism is most commonly observed among the children at the age of two, as their natural development is delayed, as compared to the healthy children. The symptoms of the disorder can be decreased in intensity overtime, through several treatments and the efforts of the family of the Autistic child. There is no cure for Autism, but the adequate treatment can enable the Autistic individual to develop the necessary skills to lead a relatively normal life. The symptoms that develop among the Autistic individuals are not standard, and can vary in the intensity among different patients.

Autism: Common Characteristics

The most prominent characteristic of the disorder among the patients is the slowness in the development of speech (Schlosser & Wendt, 2008). Autistic individuals have difficulties in communicating both verbally and non- verbally due to the lack of the necessary speech development abilities. In the childhood stage Autistic individuals would develop the skill to speak very late in their developments or it may even remain absent in the majority of their childhood period. Once the speech is developed it would consist of very peculiar patterns, which may not be understandable by the parents or siblings (Tincanni, 2006). Due to the lack of development in the cognitive functions in Autistic patients, they also have difficulties in the non verbal communication which includes eye contact, smiling or body language). When Autistic children enter the adolescence stage they might face several difficulties in maintaining a healthy social life. Autistic individuals do not possess the basic understanding of the social environment and the lack the skill to interact with the majority of the people. They do not have the ability to logically align their thoughts and carry out a rational conversation, or adequately respond to the queries and requests from other people. They do not have the basic understanding of the human emotions, or how to share their own emotions with others. This characteristic makes it very hard for autistic individuals to understand the feelings and thinking of other people, and form a relationship based on trust and friendship. The autistic child may not want to follow the parents or even the siblings, and may avoid any sort of family or social interaction. Autistic children often display very erratic behaviors, where they might even develop aggressive tendencies. Autistic individuals also display certain stereotypical characteristics such as continuously repeating certain words, following specific routines obsessively ...