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Jordan Smith

Mrs. Crist

English IV

8, November 2018

How does Autism affect people differently?

The symptoms of Autism are very distinguishable and easy to spot yet some are believed

to have a larger effect yet very subtle in the beginning. These people with autism suffer day to

day with these symptoms all varying in the severity of them as some it can be light and easy

symptoms as others can be very serious in its qualities. Over the years scientists and researchers

have studied the symptoms of Autism, the major symptoms known to people and sometimes

most obvious in some cases would be hindered learning capabilities, communication skills,

repetitive personality, social interactions, and expression of emotions.

The first major symptom that is a direct effect from autism is the hindering of their

learning capabilities. In Emily Willingham's article she talks of that “through disabilities to the

brain at a young age knowing a believable cause of autism will lead to a further result being a

issue of learning capabilities” (Willingham 1) Since the brain is your control system the reason

most kids who have autism move slower in class or just don't learn at all is because their brain

can be so easily distracted or when their mind does not want to do something they will refuse to

do it. Their mind becomes very straight minded and it becomes increasingly difficult for these

students to learn new things especially things dealing solely on remembrance that is a very

difficult thing for them to catch onto so noticing these things they need a lot more time than

others to learn. This idea is very trustworthy because test have been done and observations have

been taken of children with autism and children without autism have shown over the years that
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show kids with autism solves the problems given slower than average for the age group. As well

this has always been just common knowledge to most people when dealing with autism or

talking of autism. This will now move the next symptom of repetitive personality.

So the next well-known symptom that is very common in most cases of autism is

repetitive tendencies or repetitive personalities. These are complex and difficult to deal with yet

it is very common in most children with a form of autism and other diagnostics. In the

Griswolds article they say “Affected people also commonly display quirky, repetitive behaviors

such as hand-flapping and specific, rigid routines; absorption or obsession in unusual interests;

heightened sensitivity to auditory, visual, and tactile stimuli”. (Griswold 1). This section of their

article talks of the affected kids display all these different repetitive actions that some can be

subtle and some are very evident. These routines they talk of is very common because that is

how they live there life by this outline of a daily schedule that they have in their mind and

without that schedule can make them very angry and upset and confused so that's why that exists

in there mind. Also with their topic, they talk of these interest in unusual topics these can be

under any category since their mind will attempt to connect to something mentally and try to

understand at least one major thing thoroughly. That's how these unusual interests occur for the

satisfactory fact for them personally. The reason this symptom of repetitive personality is a good

reason to this is that it been shown through other test and through visual descriptions of people

who have children or know kids with autism these repetitive personalities are very common and

happen quite often into cases researching autism and the symptoms it leaves these children with.

The final major symptom would be things in social interaction and communication.

The last major symptom that has been found is communication skills/ social interaction.

This symptom can either be very good or very bad for the person it all varies on their personal
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viewpoint on it and how they react to the interactions. Some people with autism love the social

interactions and social skills and will be as involved in the conversation as much as possible

sometimes even more than normal. Yet on the other end of the scale, you have those who

absolutely despise social interaction and will literally freak out unconditionally under the

pressure a social interaction can entail. In Alan Guttmacher article he states these communication

hindrances can affect how the person will do in an interaction with someone else other than close

family and relatives (Guttmacher 1), he also states how groups of people are the same way that it

can either be really good for them or really bad. These social and communication hindrances

usually are noticeable around the years of kindergarten or preschool since those will be the

children's first major interactions social activity. Through these, you can notice an avoidance to

social interaction or to severe cases hyperventilating they will be more of an introvert. Yet some

on the other end of the spectrum will lead to more of force conversation or someone being very

extrovert trying to speak with everyone. Yet these early situations are hard to decipher so this

symptom is more of a later realization since younger children more prone to one side or the

other.

To conclude the symptoms of autism have been widely discussed and diversified over

time. There are many symptoms that have been noticed but not verified as an official symptom

as an effect to autism. There are main known symptoms such as social and communication skills,

hindering learning capabilities, as well as repetitive tendencies. These symptoms most common

knowledge of autism symptoms as well as the most investigated and been tested widely. People

still are looking into these symptoms and the idea of these are being furthered all the time. For

now, we have very good ideas on what these symptoms are most common in people with autism.
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Research on this will still continue on but for now, those causes mixed with plenty smaller ones

are the ones we know currently.

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Works Cited

Ballaro, Beverly, and Ann Griswold. “Autism: Overview.” Points of View: Autism, Oct.

2017, p. 1. Points of View Reference Center, EBSCOhost,

scsl.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=discus&url=http://search.ebscohost.com.scsl.idm.oclc.org/l

ogin.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=28675174&site=pov-live. Accessed 25 Oct. 2018.

Guttmacher, Alan. “Research and Intervention Are Making Headway Against Autism.”

Research and Intervention Are Making Headway Against Autism, edited by Clay Farris

Naff, 22 Nov. 2012. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

link.galegroup.com.scsl.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/EJ3010910205/OVIC?u=scschools&sid=

OVIC&xid=30546a6f. Accessed 25 Oct. 2018.

Willingham, Emily. “Rising Autism Statistics Likely Reflect Improved Diagnostics.”

Discover Magazine Blogs, edited by Clay Farris Naff, 11 July 2012. Opposing

Viewpoints in Context,

link.galegroup.com.scsl.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/EJ3010910204/OVIC?u=scschools&sid=

OVIC&xid=850fea86. Accessed 25 Oct. 2018.