(Martin). They usually avoid eye contact and appear to tune out the world around them. They can appear to be deaf one minute and overly sensitive the next and similar reactions with all their senses. Some autistic people may excel in one area or another such as music, math, drawing, or memorizing facts whether important or not. That was the characteristic displayed in the movie Rainman. However, only about 20% of autistic people have average or above average intelligence (autism zone, review). Autistic people tend to perform repetitive body movements such as rocking back and forth, hand flicking, or twisting. This is called stereotypic or self-stimulatory behavior. This behavior is often exhibited in mentally retarded patients, but it is even more common in autistic individuals. Autistic individuals likes routines and finds comfort in repetition, and when change occurs in those routines the person becomes agitated and distressed (autism zone, review). They are usually not interested in socializing and like to be alone. Their behavior may be very passive or they may overreact. They may throw a tantrum for no reason at all, appear to have no common sense, and may not realize the potential danger of things like stoves and cars (Williams 68&69). These are only some of the characteristics of autism, and a person may exhibit some of these characteristics yet not be autistic. Also the degree and if some are present at all differs between autistic people. The exact causes of autism are unknown, but there seems to be a link with heredity and genetics, though a particular gene that causes autism has not been identified. An article in the American Journal of Psychology says that families with an autistic child have a higher rate of depression and anxiety that are unaccounted for raising an autistic child and it is also displayed in aunts and uncles. Also, non-autistic relatives may display some characteristics of autism in small quantities. This s...
