What is Autism?

Autism is a developmental disability present from birth which affects the way the brain processes information.  Symptoms start before age three, in the developmental period, and cause problems with the many ways in which a person develops or grows.

In most cases, autism causes problems with:
•  Communication, both verbal (spoken) and nonverbal (unspoken)
•  Social interactions with other people, both physical (such as hugging or holding) and verbal (such as having a conversation)
•  Routines or repetitive behaviors, like frequent repetition of words or actions, obsessive following of routines, or possessing very specific ways of arranging their belongings

These autism symptoms and characteristics present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe. Although autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors, children and adults can exhibit any combination of the behaviors in any degree of severity.