Difficulty relating to people, objects and events
	Repetitive movements such as rocking and spinning, head banging and hand twisting
	Avoidance of eye contact
	Verbal and nonverbal communication skills are severely impaired
	Use of toys and objects in an unconventional manner, little imaginative play
	Severe impairment of the development of social interaction skills and apparent limited intellectual ability

* It should be noted that any one of these characteristics may occur in children with other
disabilities. In these cases the term "autistic-like" behavior is used.


......................


SYMPTOMS OF AUTISM
(taken from the Autism Society of America Website: http://www.autism-society.org/)

"Children within the pervasive developmental disorder spectrum often appear
relatively normal in their development until the age of 24-30 months, when
parents may notice delays in language, play or social interaction. Any of the
following delays, by themselves, would not result in a diagnosis of a pervasive
developmental disorder. Autism is a combination of several developmental
challenges.

The following areas are among those that may be affected by autism:


Communication:

	language develops slowly or not at all
	uses words without attaching the usual meaning to them
	communicates with gestures instead of words
	short attention span

Social Interaction:

	spends time alone rather than with others
	shows little interest in making friend
	less responsive to social cues such as eye contact or smiles

Sensory Impairment:

may have sensitivities in the areas of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste to a greater or lesser degree

Play:

	lack of spontaneous or imaginative play
	does not imitate others' actions
	does not initiate pretend games

Behaviors:

	may be overactive or very passive
	throws tantrums for no apparent reason
	does not initiate pretend games
	perseverates (shows an obsessive interest in a single item, idea, activity or person)
	apparent lack of common sense
	may show aggression to others or self
	often has difficulty with changes in routine

Some individuals with autism may also have other disorders which affect
the functioning of the brain such as: Epilepsy, Mental Retardation, Down