Autism is a developmental disorder that usually appears early in life.The symptoms and effects can range from subtle to severe. Typical characteristics of the disorder include difficulties in bonding with parents, seeming to live in one's own world, delays in motor skill development, and sensitivity to sound.Unlike other children, autistic children rarely wish to nestle on the couch and read a story with their parents.Curiously, however, this disorder is also the one most associated with what is known as Savant Syndrome.