According to a director of the division of child and adolescent psychiatry, Jeremy Veenstra-Vanderweele, MD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by the difficulties it causes with social interaction, language skills, and nonverbal communication; repetitive behavioral patterns; and the display of unusual and highly specific strengths and differences compared with other people.
Moreover, a wide range of medical ailments, including seizures, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), sleep issues and gastrointestinal diseases, are connected to autism.
Autism’s Signs and Symptoms
Autism symptoms are very diverse. Most people with autism spectrum disorders will typically exhibit a combination of some or all of those symptoms, to varied degrees of severity. This means that from person to person, the illness can appear to be completely different.
Autism in infants and toddlers may manifest as trouble answering when their names are spoken, and as per Frazier they are not paying enough attention to others, not making eye contact.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), frequent indicators that a kid may have ASD include: Loss of abilities they once possessed, difficulty adjusting to new routines, unusual reactions to smells, noises, or tastes, repetition of words or phrases given to them, and trouble expressing their needs.