by Sara Willis

Created on: May 19, 2008   Last Updated: November 25, 2008

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

When people hear the word, "autism", they often picture a child that head bangs, rocks back and forth, tiptoe walks and lacks the ability to speak or interact with others. Dustin Hoffman's character in the award winning film, "Rain Man," is a common point of reference. While this film isn't entirely accurate in representing all forms of autism, with the release of Rain Man came an increased understanding of autism and a willingness to find out what autistics are thinking, thus improving their treatment and awareness so that they could live more normal lives than their counterparts in the past. Whereas once upon a time an autistic child would be labeled "retarded," and treatment considered futile, with new information and understanding sufferers now have an excellent chance of being assimilated into mainstream society

"Autism Spectrum Disorder," commonly referred to as ASD, is an umbrella term used to describe all of the autistic disorders from classic (severe) autism, through to mild (high functioning) autism and Asbergers Syndrome. Depending on the severity of the disorder individuals can be significantly affected to the point of disabling, or mildly affected, still with ability to participate (with help,) as a functioning member of our society.

In all forms of the disorder, sufferers almost always demonstrate a need for rigid routines and do not respond well to a change in routine or environment. They are also seen to exhibit repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or lining things up in a specific order. In order to understand this obsessive need for structure and repetition, one must fully understand the extreme difficulties an autistic child has in absorbing and understanding our world.

"People with autism have said that the world, to them, is a mass of people, places and events which they struggle to make sense of, and which can cause them considerable anxiety. In particular, understanding and relating to other people, and taking part in everyday family and social life may be harder for them. Life is chaotically inconsistent, confusing and terrifying."

Autism is a disorder in which the brain is unable to process information normally. There are 3 main areas which are affected:
Impairment in social skills and social interaction
Autistic children have difficulty understanding others feelings and emotions. They are confused by various facial expressions and body language, hence often choosing to avoid eye contact

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