Autism

Infants who are autistic have little to no social interaction with people and their surroundings. They have no interest in faces and do not make eye contact. Most often the infant will not cry as much as a non-autistic infant and will seem to be quite calm most of the time.

Other children may develop normally for the first two years of life, but then regress unexpectedly and fail to pass developmental milestones without intervention. Autistic children often seem to prefer being alone, and may passively accept such things as hugs and cuddling without reciprocating, or resist attention altogether.

Later, they seldom seek comfort from others or respond to parents’ displays of anger or affection in a typical way. Research has suggested that, despite popular belief, many autistic children have bonded with their parents, and anecdotal evidence certainly supports this notion. However, this bond may be difficult for others to recognize because an autistic child’s particular ways of expressing this attachment may differ from the patterns of expression used by their typical peers.

According to Simon Baron-Cohen et al (1985), many autistic children appear to lack a “theory of mind”. Theory of mind refers to representing epistemic mental states such as knowing, believing, deceiving or imagining, and tying them together “into a coherent understanding of how mental states and actions are related.” This is a behavior cited as being exclusive to human beings above the age of five and possibly, to a lesser degree, to other higher primates such as adult gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos.

Typical 5-year-olds can usually develop insights into other people’s knowledge, feelings, and intentions based on social cues (e.g., gestures, vocal tone and facial expressions). An autistic individual may lack these interpretation skills, leaving them unable to predict or understand other people’s actions or intentions.

Many children with autism experience social alienation during their school-age years. As a response to this, or perhaps because their social surroundings simply do not “fit” them, many report inventing imaginary friends, worlds, or scenarios. Making friends in real life and maintaining those friendships often proves to be difficult for those with autism.

Although not universal, it is common for autistics to have difficulty regulating their behavior, resulting in crying, verbal outbursts, or self-injurious behaviors that seem inappropriate, or without cause. Those who have autism may benefit from consistent routines and environments, and they may react negatively to changes in their surroundings.

It is not uncommon for these individuals to exhibit poorly modulated behaviors, increased levels of self-stimulatory behavior, self-injury, or extensive withdrawal in overwhelming situations. However, as an affected individual matures and receives specific socialization education and training, skill may be attained in the recognition of behavioral triggers and more appropriate means of coping will be available for difficult social circumstances.