Autism Society of America on Laughing and Crying

[Guest guest]

People with autism also process and respond to information in unique ways. In

some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present. Persons

with autism may also exhibit some of the following traits:

* Insistence on sameness; resistance to change

* Difficulty in expressing needs; using gestures or pointing instead of

words

* Repeating words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language

* Laughing (and/or crying) for no apparent reason; showing distress for

reasons not apparent to others

* Preference to being alone; aloof manner

* Tantrums

* Difficulty in mixing with others

* Not wanting to cuddle or be cuddled

* Little or no eye contact

* Unresponsive to normal teaching methods

* Sustained odd play

* Spinning objects

* Obsessive attachment to objects

* Apparent over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to pain

* No real fears of danger

* Noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity

* Uneven gross/fine motor skills

* Non-responsive to verbal cues; acts as if deaf, although hearing tests are

in normal range

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