Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how a person interact with others, communicates, learn, and behave. Autism is considered a developmental disorder because symptoms generally appear in the first two years of life. However, some people do manifest the symptoms later in life.
Autism is known as a “spectrum” disorder because there is a wide variation in the type and severity of symptoms that each person experiences.
People with ASD usually struggle with social communication and may appear very shy or even unfriendly as they tend to avoid eye contact. They may have restricted interests and can be very focused on some activities while ignoring everything else. Another symptom is compulsive behavior where the same action is repeated many times. Some people with ASD experience sleep problems and can be easily irritated. These symptoms can affect their ability to function in school, work, and other areas of life.
However, people with Autism also have many strengths including:
- Being able to learn things in detail and remember information for long periods of time.
- Being strong visual and auditory learners.
- Excelling in math, science, music, or art.
It is these strengths that help people with Autism to be very successful in a specific field. Many high functioning Autistic people often are independent learners who can work through problems on their own. Their ability to stay focused on details of a particular subject and maintain the same interest throughout their lives helps them to become very accomplished in the area of their interest.
Some famous people who are believed to be Autistic include Charles Darwin ( Biologist/naturalist), Albert Einstein (Scientist), Emily Dickinson ( Writer), Sir Issac Newton ( Astronomer, Physicist, Mathematician), Satoshi Tajiri ( Creator of Pokemon).
