Autism begins in the early stages of childhood and detected by three years of age. It differs from person to person from mild disorder to severe ones.
When a child reacts peculiarly to light or sound it means they are the indications of autism. Any normal sound hurts the child, normal odor makes them feel very strong and a hug or touch to the baby may be agonizing for them. Their reaction is termed “meltdown” when they hear loud sound and see bright lights.
An autistic child is happy when alone and is unresponsive to the environment they are in. They stay aloof when in a group and have no curiosity for toys and playthings.
Some high functioning persons have communication skills but they are devoid of modulations and sometimes repeat words and sentences over and over again. These form a part of their daily activities and refuse to accept any change in their regular habit. In some circumstances the activity becomes serious like banging their head, self wounding, scratching or biting.
An autistic infant refuses to be touched or cuddled and shows an extraordinary liking to some objects. At times they may even have bouts of violent behavior. They do not have much pain sensation. They do not know risk in any action and their eye to eye contact is also very poor.
Training in autistic children is difficult as they do not react to normal teaching techniques. Although they have normal hearing skill they act deaf during such sessions. The indications of autism are most severe during teenage but tend to decline in adulthood. But with more and more training and rehabilitation one can bring a good change in the life of autistic children and adults.