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This triad is typically associated with a narrow, repetitive pattern of activities and resistance to change in things that directly affect the individual concerned and manifests with an impairment in the quality of development in the following areas:-

1. SOCIAL INTERACTION

· Little awareness of the existence of others, or of their feelings;

· Poor or absent ability to make appropriate social contact;

· The most severe form is aloofness and indifference to others, although most show an attachment on a simple level to parents or carers;

· Indifference to or dislike of being held, cuddled or touched;

· Difficulty in forming appropriate relationships with peers or others;

· In less severe forms, the individual passively accepts social contact, even showing some pleasure in this, though he or she may not make spontaneous approaches;

· Prefers to play alone

2. LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION

· The development of speech and language may be abnormal, delayed or absent;

· Minimal reaction to verbal input and sometimes acts as though deaf;

· The presence of, or understanding of facial expressions and / or gestures may be unusual or absent;

· Repetition of words, questions, phrases and/or sentences over and over again; Endless monologues about their special interest, without adapting to the needs of the listener

· Words and phrases may be used incorrectly;

· Production of speech may be unusual. A flat monotonous tone or inappropriate variations in tone are often noted;

· Those who are verbal, may be fascinated with words and word games, but do not use their vocabulary as a tool for social interaction and reciprocal communication;

· Difficulties in initiating and or taking part in conversations

3. BEHAVIOUR AND IMAGINATION

· Imaginative play may be limited or poor, e.g. cannot play with a wooden block, as if it is a toy car;

· A tendency to focus on minor or trivial aspects of things in the environment, instead of an imaginative understanding of the meaning of the whole scene;

· May display a limited range of imaginative activities, which you may well find have actually been copied off the TV etc.;

· Pursues activities repetitively and cannot be influenced by suggestions of change;

· Play may appear complex, but close observation, shows its rigidity and stereotyped pattern;

· Unusual habits such as rocking, spinning, finger-flicking, continual fiddling with objects, spinning objects, tapping and scratching on surfaces, or arranging objects in lines or patterns etc;

· Inappropriate use of toys in play;

· Holding onto objects, e.g.carrying a piece of wool for the whole day;

· Noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity;

· Tantrums may occur for no apparent reason;

· Changes in routine or environment, e.g. a change of route to school or altering the placement of equipment in the classroom, may cause distress;

· Interests and range of activities may be limited, e.g. only interested in puzzles;

· A small percentage of learners have abilities that are outstanding in relation to their overall functioning, e.g. exceptional memory in a specific field of interest;

Reprinted by permission of The Autism Societe of South Africa, Jill Stacey

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