Is autism found in any other animals?

Asked by: Peter, Fakenham

Autism is a neurodevelopment condition found in humans, and some of the diagnostic criteria, such as a delay in language development, can’t apply in a straightforward way to animals.

That said, some animals do display autistic-like traits, such as a tendency toward repetitive behaviour or atypical social habits. Bull terriers, for example, are especially prone to repetitive tail chasing, which some experts liken to the spinning that is sometimes seen in children with autism.

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