Lets define what high functioning autism is? When a person has this type of autism he may only have some symptoms of autism or very mild symptoms. He may only suffer from very mild social problems. These sufferers are able to speak and communicate and do most normal functions. The symptoms can often be confused with Aspergers Syndrome or Pervasive Developmental Disorder.

Children who suffer from high functioning autism will have only some problems when trying to communicate with others, you may also distinguish the disorder by small movements and kids will want a certain routine and feel lost without it.

Having your child diagnosed with autism can be heart breaking but if he is diagnosed with high functioning autism then there are advantages. The first thing you want to do is get the right kind of help. A lot of the symptoms of high functioning autism can be corrected and reversed but you need to teach your child how to do that, and you need the help of a pediatric neurologist and a child psychologist to do that.

Don't feel disheartened, there are certain therapy treatments that can bring normalcy back to your child's life. This type of therapy will teach them how to control their motor behavior, interact socially, and teach them how to communicate with others. The therapy may mean a more individualized type of education, and certain behavior analysis. Some specialists may prescribe certain medications to control the child's anxiety and his hyperactivity. This is why its important to look for help from specialists in the field.

High functioning autism is diagnosed when mild symptoms of the condition are present but these symptoms can be worked with and the child understands most of what is needed from him. These children are just as intelligent, and sometimes even more so than other children of the same age. They can express themselves adequately but sometimes there comprehension seems to fall behind others. They cannot express their emotional needs very will, and have a hard time understanding non verbal cues.

As a parent you need to be careful because high functioning autism is often confused with Asperger's Syndrome. A lot of the information out there refers to both high functioning autism and Asperger's as being the same. Although there are many symptoms that are similar, there is a difference and they need to be treated differently. Even doctors tend to differ in their definitions of the two.

Most physicians have a difficult time in defining high functioning autism. They usually use different methods of testing, and some doctors use IQ tests to determine the level of autism. But IQ tests may not be totally appropriate because there are questions that autistic children have a hard time answering. So other factors are also used like the language that the child uses, and what his behaviour is like. Be sure to find specialists that are very experienced with autistic children, and can therefore do a correct diagnosis.