Autism

Ben's behavior suggests that he has a mild form of autism. Most autistic children have difficulty learning in the ordinary give-and-take of human interaction. They may prefer objects or animals to humans, avoid eye contact and seem indifferent to family members. Autistic individuals experience delays in communication, social interaction and imaginative play. In particular, they may lack the "theory of the mind," the concept that allows them to mentally view the world from another's perspective. Usually we develop this ability by the age of 5. Even as adults, many autistic people have trouble interpreting emotional cues like tone of voice and body language. Often, they can only understand what is explicitly stated. Autism is a spectrum, and the symptoms can vary from person to person.

Scientists theorize that autistic people experience sensory stimuli differently. The ultimate causes of autism are probably both genetic and environmental. Some researchers believe the...