Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) include autism, Asperger's syndrome, Rett syndrome and child disintegrative disorder. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) states that about 3.4 in 1000 children between the ages of 3 and 10 have one of the autism spectrum disorders. The severity of the symptoms varies. For example, a patient with childhood disintegrative disorder has a severe loss of vocabulary, while a patient with Asperger's syndrome does not have vocabulary problems.
Social Skills Problems
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that difficulties with social interaction are common problems in all types of autism spectrum disorders. For example, the child will not respond to her name by 12 months. She prefers to play alone and does not understand personal space boundaries. When the patient is around other people, she avoids making eye contact. She also does not understand others' feelings and has problems empathizing with others. The child also avoids personal contact, such as hugs from parents. These social skills problems can impair the child's ability to make friends and interact with people.
Language Problems
Autism spectrum disorders also affect language skills. The CDC notes that 40 percent of children with autism do not speak at all, and 25 to 30 percent have some language abilities by 12 to 18 months, but lose them at the onset of the disorder. The NIMH notes that warnings signs of an autism spectrum disorder include not speaking one word by the time the child is 16 months old and not combining two words by 2 years old. If the child does speak, he may repeat words, talk in a robotic tone, reverse pronouns or give unrelated answers when asked a question. For example, instead of saying "I am hungry," the child says "me am hungry." The child may not understand sarcasm or do pretend play, which can also impact his social skills.
Unusual Behaviors
The NIMH notes that people with autism spectrum disorders tend to do repetitive movements, such as arm flapping. Not all people who have an autism spectrum disorder do these repetitive movements--some may stop moving entirely instead. A child may also create rituals for herself, such as lining up her toys by color or size. If someone disrupts that action, the she may get upset. The CDC adds that the child may have an obsessive interest, such as focusing on one part of an object. For example, if the patient plays with toy trucks, she may focus only on the wheels of that truck.
