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Article: Autism
- Article from:
- Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health: Infancy throughAdolescence
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Thomson Gale. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Autism
Definition
Autism is a severely incapacitating developmental disorder of brain function characterized by three major types of symptoms: impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual or severely limited activities and interests.
Description
Autism is a complex developmental disability with symptoms that typically appear during the first three years of childhood and continue throughout life. It is the most severe disorder within a group of developmental disorders called autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) or
pervasive developmental disorders
(PDDs) that cover a wide range of behaviors and symptoms, all related to a lesser or greater ...