Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a developmental disorder that affects communication, social interaction, and behavior. It’s called a spectrum disorder because it can manifest in a wide range of symptoms and severity levels.

Symptoms:

1. Social Challenges: Difficulty in understanding and interpreting social cues, such as facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language. Difficulty in forming and maintaining relationships.
2. Communication Difficulties: Delayed speech development or difficulty in starting or maintaining conversations. Some individuals may have limited speech or may not speak at all. Others may have highly advanced vocabularies but struggle with social nuances in communication.
3. Repetitive Behaviors: Engaging in repetitive movements or actions, like hand-flapping, rocking, or repeating phrases (echolalia). Resistance to changes in routines.
4. Sensory Sensitivities: Heightened sensitivity or indifference to sensory stimuli like light, sound, touch, taste, or smell. This can result in sensory overload or seeking sensory stimulation.
5. Narrow Interests: Intense focus on specific topics or objects, often to the exclusion of other activities or interests.
6. Motor Coordination Challenges: Some individuals may have difficulty with gross or fine motor skills, leading to clumsiness or challenges with activities like tying shoelaces or catching a ball.