Autism is a lifelong condition that affects the way a person communicates and relates to other people. This definition has been expanded to include a wide range of associated conditions. These have come to be known as Autistic Spectrum Disorders. ASD is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life.

The disorder was first described in 1943 by Leo Kanner in a paper "Autistic Disturbance of Affective Contact". The word Autism comes from a Greek term meaning "self absorbed". Before Leo Kanner described the behaviour pattern, such children would be classified as emotionally disturbed or mentally retarded.

Kanner observed that these children often demonstrated capabilities that showed they were not just slow learners, but they didn't fit the patterns of emotionally disturbed children. Thus he coined the term "Early Infantile Autism" or Kanner's Syndrome.

Autistic children have trouble in in understanding and using any form of communication, non-verbal and verbal. Some autistic children do not develop any useful language at all.

Although autistic children can remember experiences they seem unable to imbue them with significance beyond the immediate, literal meaning.

The autistic child has no sense of "me" and "not me" except in fleeting moments of awareness. People are treated as things which are extensions of the child's own bodily "things".

Bizarre behaviours such as grimacing, arm flapping, and springing back and forth, one foot to another are common. Peripheral vision is used, responding to movement and looking past people and things.

Oversensitivity to certain sounds, fascination with bright lights and objects that spin and indifference to pain or temperature may occur in young autistic children.

Play is ritualistic and lacking in imagination. Autistic children are incapable of understanding emotion in others. They suffer from a lack of empathy.

The essence of autism is a triad of impairments:

1. Difficulties with Speech, Language and Nonverbal Communication - The main problem is that they have difficulties in communicating. Even in individuals with relatively normal language development they can find it difficult to initiate conversations and reply appropriately. A child can often repeat perfectly what has been said - Echolalia - but cannot use the same words in another situation.

2.Difficulties with Social Interaction - People and particularly children with Autism often have difficulties initiating and sustaining relationships with their peers. Autistic children can often relate well to their parents but not to other kids. The reason is that as adults we anticipate children's needs, an ability children do not have.

3.Difficulties with Imagination and Inner Language - Children with autism have a problem pretending. They are very poor at imaginary play. People with autism tend to have problems understanding how other people are feeling or interpreting facial expressions.