Does anyone know what exactly autism tendencies might mean?

I've just been told that my 6-year old son, who is in kindergarten is showing some autism tendencies. What could this mean for his future? Is it genetic, like a learning disorder? I want to learn as much as I can regarding this.

hey :) i work with children with severe autism. Autism is a developmental disorder and is the most common developmental disorder in a group called the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Other ASDs include Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified .

Tho each child is individual most people with autism have impairments in social interaction, social communication, and imagination. This is referred to as the triad of impairments.

I dont belive there is any direct research which shows autism is genetic, i think they are unsure about the cause.

There are lost of usefull websites on autism, and the autism awareness society.

http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageS...
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/autism....
http://www.learningdifficulties.org.au/a...

hope you find them helpful, all the best faerie rainbow dust x x x x x

The severity of symptoms varies greatly between individuals; however, all people with autism have some core symptoms in the areas of:

Social interactions and relationships. Symptoms may include:
Significant problems developing nonverbal communication skills, such as eye-to-eye gazing, facial expressions, and body posture.
Failure to establish friendships with children the same age.
Lack of interest in sharing enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people.
Lack of empathy. People with autism may have difficulty understanding another person's feelings, such as pain or sorrow.
Verbal and nonverbal communication. Symptoms may include:
Delay in, or lack of, learning to talk. As many as 50% of people with autism never speak.2
Problems taking steps to start a conversation. Also, people with autism have difficulties continuing a conversation once it has begun.
Stereotyped and repetitive use of language. People with autism often repeat over and over a phrase they have heard previously (echolalia).
Difficulty understanding their listener's perspective. For example, a person with autism may not understand that someone is using humor. They may interpret the communication word for word and fail to catch the implied meaning.
Limited interests in activities or play. Symptoms may include:
An unusual focus on pieces. Younger children with autism often focus on parts of toys, such as the wheels on a car, rather than playing with the entire toy.
Preoccupation with certain topics. Older children and adults are often fascinated by train schedules, weather patterns, or license plates.
A need for sameness and routines. For example, a child with autism may always need to eat bread before salad and insist on driving the same route every day to school.
Stereotyped behaviors. These include body rocking and hand flapping.