The Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), commonly known as autism is a disability in development that affects how a person communicates and relates to people around them.

Signs and symptoms:

1.   Social Interaction (difficulty with social relationships, for example seem distant and indifferent to other people, like to be alone);
2.   Social Communication (difficulty with verbal and nonverbal communication, for example, do not fully understand the meaning of common gestures, facial expressions or tone of voice);
3.   Imagination (difficulty in the development of interpersonal play and imaginary, for example, have limited imaginative activities, possibly copied and developed in a rigid and repetitive).

A person with autism might:

have difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication

• Spoken language (around a third of people with autism are nonverbal)
• Gestures
• Eye contact
• Facial expressions
• Tone of voice
• Expressions not meant to be taken literally

have difficulty with emotions:

• Recognizing emotions and intentions in others
• Recognizing one’s own emotions
• Expressing emotions
• Seeking emotional comfort from others
• Feeling overwhelmed in social situations
• Taking turns in conversation
• Gauging personal space (appropriate distance between people)

Show restricted and repetitive behaviors 

• Repetitive body movements (e.g. rocking, flapping, spinning, running back and forth) 
• Repetitive motions with objects (e.g. spinning wheels, shaking sticks, flipping levers)
• Staring at lights or spinning objects
• Ritualistic behaviors (e.g. lining up objects, repeatedly touching objects in a set order)
• Narrow or extreme interests in specific topics
• Need for unvarying routine/resistance to change (e.g. same daily schedule, meal menu, clothes, route to school)