ABSTRACT
Autism and the autism-spectrum disorders are serious developmental disorders characterized by marked impairment in social interaction and communication. Children with autism typically will not make eye contact with others and will not engage others with other nonverbal signals such as facial expressions. Children with autism fail to form peer relationships at a developmentally appropriate level and do not seek to share their interests, observations, or concerns with others. They have little involvement with others and seem to lack a sense of empathy. There is delay in the development of spoken language; in severe cases, spoken language may not develop at all. Use of language is characterized by stereotyped and repetitive words or sounds. Children with autism exhibit restricted and often stereotyped patterns of interests and behavior. For example, they may be preoccupied with a narrow range of interests and may adhere to inflexible and specific routines and rituals. They may also exhibit stereotyped, repetitive body movements such as hand flapping. In addition to these core features of autism, there is a high incidence of mental retardation and of seizure disorders (Tuchman et al., 1991). Autism begins prior to the age of three with two major patterns: the failure to develop; or the beginning of normal development and then regression, which involves the loss of any developmental progress that has been made.
