Autism is a complex developmental disorder that affects brain development. Individuals with autism
have difficulties in social interaction, language and communication, and self-stimulatory and repetitive
behaviors. Most of these challenges come from an underlying inability to take in the world through
the senses and to use the body and thoughts to respond to that input. As autism is complex, there are
many areas to learn about in order to identify an individual child’s needs and interventions. These may
include sensory processing, speech and language, and social skills.