| With the terms 'autism' and 'Autistic Spectrum Disorder' | | | | different. Because of this an autistic person might be |
| being thrown around so much lately many people are | | | | overwhelmed or mildly repulsed by certain types of |
| confused about what exactly autism is. With the rising | | | | sensory input and might be drawn to others. A good |
| incidence of autism, it is important for the general public, | | | | example of this would be an autistic child at a |
| and especially those with autistic people in their lives, to | | | | fireworks display - the sudden loud noises synched |
| understand this spectrum of disorders and how it | | | | with the explosive visual displays can send the child |
| affects people. | | | | into a severe meltdown, because he cannot cope with |
| Autism is a developmental disability, which means it is a | | | | the way that the sensory input affects him. Another |
| disability which begins to present itself in childhood and | | | | example would be that it is a common (but by no |
| which lasts throughout life. Other developmental | | | | means universal) trait for older autistics to enjoy |
| disability diagnoses that are related to autism, such as | | | | particularly spicy foods, or to have otherwise unusual |
| Aspergers Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental | | | | tastes in foods. |
| Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified, are said to exist | | | | This affectation of sensory perception is a part of the |
| on the Autistic Spectrum, which makes autism a | | | | cognitive alterations at the basis of autism. Another |
| spectrum disorder. This means that there are a | | | | part of this is the way that thought patterns are |
| spectrum of symptoms and degrees to which the | | | | affected. Autistics often describe thinking in pictures, or |
| symptoms can manifest, but that all of these | | | | even matrices of information, rather than linear strings |
| diagnoses are autism. People with a High-Functioning | | | | of data like words. Different lines of thought can be |
| Autism diagnosis therefore have the same symptoms | | | | experienced as interactions between these pictures. |
| as lower functioning autistics, but they vary in severity. | | | | This is part of the reason that verbal autistics often |
| At its root autism is a non-typical type of perception | | | | communicate particularly well with each other. |
| and cognition. An autistic perceives the world | | | | These are the basic foundations of autism, and of |
| differently than a non-autistic, or neurotypical. This | | | | course they exist to different degrees and can cause |
| means that sound, sight, taste, touch, and smell are | | | | different traits in different people, but it's important to |
| experienced differently by autistics than neurotypicals. | | | | remember that this, and not the behaviors or other |
| The senses can be amplified, dampened, or just plain | | | | observable symptoms, is what autism is. |