Children diagnosed with autism can be treated through behaviour
modification, ie. through selecting a target behaviour (eg.
maintain eye contact), shaping the behaviour and using positive
reinforcers like praising the child after he/she emits the desired
behaviour.
But results have been criticised as only a small sample of autistic
children were tested and they had less severe symptoms to begin
with.
There are three groups of autistics. The first group consists of
individuals whose intellectual functioning is below normal (IQ
below 70), compared to the average normal IQ of 100. They develop
no language skills, are often handicapped, and require special
care.
The second group consists of individuals who possess amazing
skills, such as the ability to perform complex maths calculations,
memorising vast quantities of data, and excelling at musical or
artistic feats. These individuals are known as savants, and only
compose of 1-2% all autistics.
The third group consists of individuals whose IQ are above 70, have
relatively fluent speech, but do not perform well in academic
subjects and have impaired social skills. Known as high-functioning
autistics, they make up the largest group of autistics.
