_________________________________________________________________ Autism FAQ - Characteristic Behavior _________________________________________________________________ Autistic children display unusual behavior. A typical autistic child's behavior is likely to include some of the following: * no speech * non-speech vocalizations * delayed development of speech * echolalia: speech consisting of literally repeating something heard * delayed echolalia: repeating something heard at an earlier time * confusion between the pronouns "I" and "You" * lack of interaction with other children * lack of eye contact * lack of response to people * treating other people as if they were inanimate objects * when picked up, offering no "help" ("feels like lifting a sack of potatoes") * preoccupation with hands * flapping hands * spinning * balancing, e.g. standing on a fence * walking on tiptoes * extreme dislike of certain sounds * extreme dislike of touching certain textures * dislike of being touched * either extremely passive behavior or extremely nervous, active behavior * extreme dislike of certain foods * behavior that is aggressive to others * lack of interest in toys * desire to follow set patterns of behavior/interaction * desire to keep objects in a certain physical pattern * repetitive behavior (perserveration) * self-injurious behavior * "islets of competence", areas where the child has normal or even advanced competence. Typical examples: + drawing skill + musical skill + arithmetic + calendar arithmetic + memory skills + perfect pitch There are other conditions which sometimes coincide with autism: * synesthesia(an unexpected sensation arises when a particular sense modality is stimulated) * Cerebellar abnormalities revealed by MRI scans * raised levels of serotonin in the brain -- L'homme qui s'est fait mal.