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| Isolation | child seems alone, detached and withdrawn |
| Sensation | may use peripheral vision and/or appear deaf because |
| tuned into distant events instead of what is happening nearby | |
| seem to wrap themselves into their own skin/ body sensations | |
| Movement | may be on the move all the time: running, climbing, jumping, ... |
stereotypical use of body movements: flapping, rocking, twirling, spinning,... or grinding teeth, blinking, grimacing... |
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| Excitements | can get wildly excited in a bodily way, similar to thrills, fits, seizures or orgasms |
| Language | speech is often delayed and may not develop |
| difficulties with non-verbal communication | |
| difficulties with creative and meaningful use of language | |
| lack of symbol formation, therefore also | |
| Play | lack of symbolic and imaginative play |
| not purposeful activity but often more a fiddling with objects | |
| using toys/ objects not as their intended functions | |
| Rituals | usually to maintain self-control, which includes |
| trying to keep the environment from changing | |
| may seem bizarre and may be clung to with great tenacity | |
| Sleep | sleeping difficulties are common |
| Eating | eating difficulties are also common |
| Other | often don’t seem to care about their possessions |
| can get very upset about things being broken or incomplete | |
| panic after a slight change but be indifferent to big changes | |
| seem overly independent | |
| content to be left alone for hours, often already as infants |
References: Kanner (1943), Rimland (1964), Rutter (1976, 1979), Frith (1989), Victor (1986), Hocking (1990), Tustin (1990), Alvarez (1992), Hobson (1993), Dzikowski (1993), et al.
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