Autistic infants do not cuddle and do not like to be picked up. They prefer to be left alone and are intolerant of change in their environment. Autistic children may respond with tantrums to such changes as the rearrangement of furniture or toys. Physical development is normal. Initially believed to be a consequence of poor parenting, it is now recognized as a neurological disorder.
Some autistic children improve spontaneously.
Others respond to a specialized plan of treatment. However, less than 25 percent of autistic children get better. Over half of all autistic children require residential placement by the end of adolescence.