Autism is a developmental disorder of the human brain that first gives signs during infancy or childhood and follows a steady course without remission or relapse. Impairments result from maturation-related changes in various systems of the brain. Autism Spectrum Disorder is one of the five pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), which manifests itself in the following social, communication, and behavior descriptions: lack of initiation in communication and social relationships, delays in the development of comprehension and expression of spoken language, engagement in stereotyped motor and/or vocal responses, difficulty in attending to social and environmental cues, and participation in inflexible, nonfunctional routines.
