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- Autism
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Characteristics
There are many different characteristics that students with autism display depending on the child, but these are some common traits:
- Communicative functioning in individuals with autism is often delayed, both in verbal and in nonverbal communication abilities. Language development is slow and atypical, and currently about 50% of individuals never progress to spoken or symbolic communication. When language does develop, the individual may be unable to sustain conversation unless it involves something of personal interest to them, and abstract topics, such as emotions, may be rarely expressed. Nonverbal abilities are also impacted in autism, and social skills, such as maintaining eye contact and appropriate personal space, can be particularly difficult for these individuals. These deficits in communication can negatively impact the ability of these individuals to successfully navigate the social world of friendship, academia and work.
- Socially, individuals with Autism can be as diverse as their typical peers - seeking constant attention at one end of the spectrum, all the way to avoiding all contact at the other end of the spectrum. Their inability to express their desire for social contact in socially acceptable ways (i.e. they may not make any eye contact and may look away while standing very close) often gives the impression that a person with Autism wishes to be isolated from their peers. Students with Autism may lack the pragmatic, language, observation and imitation skills to participate in a majority of social situations. Additionally, people with Autism may also have difficulty with personal hygiene, conforming to dress codes, and auditory processing. Students with Autism may experience difficulty responding to new and/or unique situations. They may have restricted interests and self-stimulating behavior which can negatively impact their ability to socialize easily or effectively. If 90% of communication is non-verbal, individuals with Autism are often unaware of this 90% of communication.
- Unusual, negative and/or aggressive behavior issues are often present in individuals with autism, some of which can pose a danger to the individual. Some children can display self-injurious behavior such as biting, scratching, pinching, or hitting their own faces or bodies. These extreme behaviors often seem to have an underlying communicative function, such as expressing pain or hunger. Individuals with autism can also be drawn to ingest nonedible items, a condition called pica, which they share with a number of other disability categories. These individuals can often be alternately extremely sensitive or nonreactive to both sounds and touch.