Other Symptoms

Autism refers to a rare brain development disorder which has increased significantly since the 1980s. Signs of autism begin to show up in an early age most of the times. An autistic infant is unable to communicate effectively with others and his or her overall cognitive development takes a major setback. According to experts, autism is more of a set of disorders than a disease. Any kid who is affected with autistic syndromes displays strange behavioral patterns such as withdrawal from social mingling. Other symptoms of autism include reiterative behavior, confined and narrow areas of interest and so on.

Before elaborating further on behavioral and other symptoms of autism, let us take a look at the proposed causes of autism. Contradictory views and theories have come up whenever there has been any attempt made to find the exact cause of this disorder. The genetic theory of autism is an extremely convoluted one and it still lacks any credible medical evidence. The genes that contribute to the development of autism are yet to be classified. Birth time defect is promoted as a likely cause of autistic disorders. But this too lacks enough scientific proof.

It's been seen in the majority of cases that an autistic individual develops the symptoms at a very early age. The symptoms steadily mount up as the person grow older. The sad part of it is that there is no prognosis of autism so far. According to surveys, autism strikes about 6 persons in every 1000 individuals. The rarity of occurrence is so far the only hope.

The children who are struck with autism need special care and attention not just from their parents, but also from the entire society. Sufferers of acute autism feel helpless in many ways. Ritualistic behavior and other symptoms of the disorder begin to take over as the kid grows up. He or she feels isolated and heavily impaired to carry out his or her normal course of activities. Making effective communication with others becomes a big problem for autistic individuals. There is a common belief that the patients of this ailment do not like the company of others. It is a gross misconception. In reality, an autistic person cannot get involved in any kind of longstanding, emotional relationship with anyone. Those who suffer from mild implications, however, do make friends but only within a limited circle. They tend to value the quality of friendship than the quantity of it.

Stereotyped behavior is typical of severe autism. Actions such as hand flapping, body rocking or head rolling are often found in children who have developed this queer disorder. Response to external stimulations become unusual or non-anticipatory. Solving a puzzle or indulging in a task that requires general intelligence becomes almost next to impossible.

A few other symptoms include gastrointestinal indications, malnutrition, difficulty to fall asleep and getting up in the morning, etc.