The characteristics of Classical Autism
Notice
It is important to know that all the characteristics do not have to be pressent in everyone with an ASD disorder. Furthermore, these characteristics can vary from moment to moment, depending on the mood of the person and the events around him or her. Recognizing yourself in these characteristics does not mean that you have autism. You can use the information on this website as a pretext for an test.
The characteristics
As said on the page "What is Classical Autism" the diagnosis Classical Autism is given on three main criteria. These three main criteria are divided into several points. The characteristics mentioned below are the characteristics that can be seen in someone with classic autism. This list can be completely divided into the three main criteria. Because many items may fall under multiple criteria that division will not be made on this page.
To begin, there are major differences between the manifestation of classical autism. Where the first is totally unable to make contact, you can talk normally with the other. Someone with Classic Autism is very introverted. He or she makes little or no eye contact. Contact with people is not possible or very difficult. This will result in a child that is late, or wil not attach to his or her parents. Someone with Classical Autism can hardly empathize with the interests of others. Contact with peers in the younger years is very difficult.
Children with Classical Autism usually play in a certain way with a toy. They can not waiver. In their eyes it is the only way to play with that specific toy. This sometimes goes so far as the child playing with a similar toy in yet another different way. Someone with Classic Autism can only use an object where it was created for. A good example is a bottle of deodorant as a microphone. Someone with Classic Autism can't do this. They have a very strong need for structure and routine. Everything should stay the same. The road to school, work, friends, family, etc should always be the same. The stuff in the house should remain on the same spot. If in the daily situation of people with classic autism something unexpected changes this will lead to panic and anger. Even days after the change, the panic and anger persist.
People with classical autism (and ASD in general) can all react in their own way to events in their surrounding. One will react violently whereas the other will barely respond. Someone with Classical Autism is sometimes even simply not able to not respond to his or hers own name. Someone with Classical Autism who burns him- or herself on the heater does not, for example have to respond to the burn. It seems like it does'nt hurt. It is possible that someone with Classical Autism reacts very violently to different situations. A smoke detector going off, a car's horn or a candle bing lit, while it has not been used for a long time. The person may be very upset and yelling and screaming. It is very difficult for him or her to calm. Often, people with Classical Autism do not want to be touched by others, even by family, friends or other acquaintances. Contact, particularly if they do not see it coming, can cause extreme reactions such as screaming, yelling, flutter (= making fluttering movements with the hands, and sometimes the whole arms like a bird does with its wings to fly does) and so on.
The motor skills of someone with Classical Autism (and ASD in general) is often less developed than someone without Classic Autism. They move stiffly. Often they do not use gestures to clarify what they mean. And others use just back excessive hand gestures. They use little or no facial expressions. Someone with Classical Autism has a lag in the gross and fine motor skills. What you often see in someone with classic autism is that they are swaying, the same movements with an object, or other stereotyped movements.
Many people with Classical Autism never learn to speak properly. The development of speech in children with Classical Autism is usually late. Children with Classical Autism often parrots. They repeat exactly what is said to them, with the same intonation. Also the voice of someone with Classical Autism often sounds monotonous and robotic. A person with Classical Autism often has an inability to talk smoothly. Everything sounds very similar. This makes it difficult for others to identify how the other feels. Someone with Classic Autism talking to someone, instead of with someone.
Classical Autism and a mental and / or physical disabilities often go together.
