ABSTRACT
Over the years autism has been considered a mental illness, an emotional disturbance, a personality disorder, a communication disorder, a mental handicap, a developmental disability and, more recently, an information processing problem (Williams, 1996). Currently, autism continues to be classified as a pervasive developmental disorder, a term which refers to children and adults who have severe lifelong difficulties in social and communication skills beyond those accounted for by general developmental delay. More and more children are being diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder. It is important that teachers are aware of the features of the disorder and have an understanding of its implications for learning, as well as being able to identify the disorder in its early stages so that appropriate help may be given.
