Autism
Alternative names:
autistic disorder; infant autism
Symptoms:
- unresponsiveness to people
- lack of attachment to parents or caretakers
- rigid or flaccid muscle tone while being held
- little or no interest in human contact
- lack of attachment to parents or caretakers
- language impairment
- impaired speech or language onset in childhood
- meaningless repetition of words or phrases
- bizarre or repetitive behavior patterns such as uncontrollable head banging, screaming fits, arm flapping
- self-destructive behavior
- very distressed by minor changes in the environment
- overreaction or underreaction to sensory stimulus
- delayed mental and social skills
Signs and tests:
Appearance of symptoms before age 3 is a sign of the disorder. The Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST) shows delayed development, especially of language and social skills. IQ test scores may be low because of lack of cooperation rather than lack of intelligence.
|
