--Definition+of+Autism

The definition of Autism, as defined by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), is found below.
**(8)** AUTISM. (a) Autism means a developmental disability significantly affecting a child’s social interaction and verbal and non-verbal communication, generally evident before age 3, which adversely affects learning and educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences. The term does not apply if a child’s educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the child has an emotional disturbance, as defined in sub. (7).