Autism is a neurological brain disorder which affects the areas of speech, communications and social interactions. One can become aware of this autism in infancy by the time the child is three years of age which persists till adulthood but sometimes this is only in later part of life. Autistic children are distinctly spotted as their behavior is abnormal and different from normal children. Children basically like to be in the company of their parents and also like cuddling and a circle of kids of their age but autistic children prefer loneliness and are indifferent to the group around them and are also touch sensitive.
Self centeredness is the foremost trait in autism and in this behavior problem the child is indifferent even to its parents and caregivers keep away from all communication from them. Autistic children have classified, repetitive behavior problem and they cannot accept any change in their activity. Some children have destructive behavior like body rocking and head banging,
The next area where autism affects is the speech and communication skill. Some children refuse to speak totally while some have problem while talking and so cannot convey things. So they are reserved, inactive and do not react. Some even avoid eye to eye contact.
Autistic children are of two types. Some have mild autism while some have severe ones. Children with mid autism have good logic and intelligence in spite of their poor communication and social interaction skills. Such children excel in arts, music or sometimes in calculations and mathematics. But children with severe autism at times also suffer from mental retardation leaving no room for much development and are also very slow in learning.
What triggers autism is yet a mystery but the popular belief says it is caused genetically in the central nervous system due to malfunction of the inherited system. This disorder is irreparable but medical science can reduce the intensity of the problem. Proper rehabilitation and behavior modification therapies along with medical treatment and parental support can help these autistic children to improve their communication and social interaction skill to a great extent and lead a normal life.