Individuals with autism can also be very resistant to changes in their routine. Even a minor break in routine could be a major upset to the child with autism. For example, a child may appear fearful of the soft drone of an air conditioner, but may enjoy the loud noise of a car horn. Some children and adults with autism show an exceptionally high threshold of pain. Current research suggests that autism is a neurologically or biologically-based disorder of the brain.
Further research is needed to determine additional factors.
There is no research to support that autism is caused by psychological factors in the child's environment. Early diagnosis and appropriate intervention are vital to the future development of a child with autism. Research indicates that individuals with autism respond well to highly structured, specialized education programs. Teaching must be tailored to the specific needs of the individual and must be delivered in a consistent, comprehensive and coordinated manner. Programs using applied behavior analysis are known to be effective in remediating the skill deficits and behavior problems that children and adults with autism typically show.