Autism is a developmental disorder that involves many challenges. Autistic children have trouble forming relationships. They also have difficulty understanding and responding to emotional signals from others. Other challenges include using language, using words creatively, using imagination, and, later, thinking abstractly. These are the core forms of the deficit called autism. This condition is also associated with some typical symptoms that are not only present in children with autism. It is important to keep in mind that these symptoms may be present in children with other challenges as well. Symptoms include: (1) self-absorption; (2) repetitive, self-stimulatory behavior, such as staring at a fan; (3) repeating words over and over again; and (4) motor movements, such as hand-flapping. These behaviors can also be seen in children who have less severe challenges. These actions alone should not be considered signs of autism. Instead, a teacher should look for the core challenges listed above. The general goal for a teacher of an autistic child is to, within the scope of resources available, create learning relationships tailored to the needs of the particular child. For some children, accomplishing this goal may require having an aide to provide extra help in a pre-school or kindergarten program. Other times, classroom volunteers might help. It is very hard to provide the necessary individualized work if there is one teacher for many children. It is very important to recognize the need for extra support to work with such children. A list of three resources concludes the article.