What Is Autism? "Autism" is a term that covers a spectrum of neurological disorders affecting one in every 110 children, which means virtually every neighborhood school or other relatively small collection of children includes one or more children with Autism. Autism impairs brain development in the areas of social interaction & communication. It exhibits itself in inappropriate play, extreme social withdrawal, intense discomfort with new situations, people or surroundings, lack of facial affect, pre-occupation and fixation, and behavioral problems. The window for successful treatment of Autism closes very quickly and many doors to social/recreational opportunities open slowly, if at all.