Autism
Autism is a severe disorder involving abnormalities in communication, relationships, perception and movement. There are a wide variety of symptoms. It may become apparent in infancy where there is a failure of development of facial gestures, babbling and language; the toddler and young child fails to develop social skills in interactions with their peers and prefers to be isolated, insisting on following exact routines or patterns of behaviour; there may be problems affecting movement or posture - such as repeated hand clapping or walking on tiptoe. While some with autism never develop language and remain mute, living within a world of their own with the rest of us denied access, others do develop speech which may be of a ritualistic and inappropriate nature. They may become disturbed and aggressive at any small change in routine. Some show remarkable talent in musical, artistic or mathematical fields. The cause is unknown, but may involve interaction between genetic and environmental factors.
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