My brother's son appears to have autism. They're still going through the early stages of figuring that out. I want to be prepared to be as helpful as possible with it.
They parents usually notice the first signs within two or three years.
Yeah, I think that sounds about right for my brother and his wife. What are some of the effects of it?
It affects information processing within the brain so many situations are not fully understood by people with autism.
Understandable. Can you give me some more obscure specifics that might be harder to find or understand?
The symptoms usually develop gradually meaning that some children with autism are able to reach early developmental milestones but usually worsen with time.
Some blanks are starting to get filled in. So, what's one last thing you really think I should know, that you think is important?
The disorder is caused by genetic factors as well as environmental ones.