You may have seen an autistic child or adult and never knew that the person had
a diagnosis. Your ignorance about the disorder is not uncommon because most people
who are not experienced with the disorder look at autistic people as those who are
mentally retarded or have some learning disability. This is not true. Autism is a very
complicated disorder that affects children typically from the age of three to conception.
The disorder is neurological in nature and primarily affects the areas of the brain where
communication and social interaction is developed. To the unsuspecting person, the
autistic child or adult would be considered mentally unstable or retarded.