What Autism Is?
- Autism is a neurological disorder of the brain.
- Abnormal function of the brain. CAN RANGE FROM MILD TO SEVERE.
- Abnormal Language skills.
- Abnormal social skills.
- Abnormal Coordination.
- No fear of danger
- Abnormal function of the brain. CAN RANGE FROM MILD TO SEVERE.
- Abnormal Language skills.
- Abnormal social skills.
- Abnormal Coordination.
- No fear of danger
What is NOT Autism?
- Autism is not mental retardation, although some people describe it as a mental disorder. Not all autistic people have mental retardation. Some people with autism can be very intellegent. [Some evidence shows that Albert Einstein may had been autistic, because he had some speaking difficulties in his early childhood and did not learn to talk until the age of 5, however the term "autism" was not used until 1943, when it was discovered by Leo Kanner, about 12 years before Einstein's death.]
- Autism is not "savant" syndrome, some autistic people may be savants, but most are not. Some autistic people may have normal, or even very high intellegence, and some may have mental retardation, as also described above.
- Autism is not an emotional problem. It is a neurological disorder of the brain. Psychological trauma does not cause it.
- Autism does not cause death. However autistic people do have some disadvantages, and some may live rewarding lives, Autistic people may not want to be "cured" as this may be like "erasing" them, and replacing the with someone else.
- Autism is NOT Down's Syndrome. Down's Syndrome is a genetic disorder, and not a neurological disorder, and yes, it may have some symptoms that resemble autism, but is not part of the autism spectrum. Down's syndrome is caused by presence of extra material from the 21st chromosome, not by abnormalities of the brain.