Eric's slow, steady progress, has done much to dispel Dirksen's original image of an institutionalized, unfeeling, autistic child. Although he once showed no affection toward his parents, he now hugs his mom when he arrives home from school and climbs into his parent's bed when he can't sleep at night. The world's a tough place, and he's done a great job. Now, an organization that supports research toward interventions and a cure for autism, in a fund-raising biathlon. Children with autism fall along wide spectrum of development and may have any combination of minor or severe impairments, she said.
Some children have difficulty understanding spoken language or reading nonverbal communication.
Some exhibit repetitive or unusual behavior. There is often impairment in cognition, communication, social, adaptive, and motor skills, Beveridge said. Some are hyperactive while others are unusually docile. Often autistic children focus on certain items and will throw a tantrum until they get the item they are after. Often the difficulty for the parent is trying to figure out what the child wants.