A recent study by the National Institutes of Health has indicated that neurological signs in autistic patients are not limited to the brain areas involved in social interaction, communication, and reasoning. Previously it has been held that problems in those areas are primarily responsible for the problems faced by autistic patients. This recent study provides evidence that autism affects functioning of entire brain. The study also found that autism affects a broad array of skills and abilities, including those involved with sensory perception, movement and memory.
The research study, Neuropsychologic Functioning in Children with Autism: Further Evidence for Disordered Complex Information-Processing, appearing in the August Child Neuropsychology which was dedicated to autism research, strongly suggest that autism is a disorder in which the various parts of the brain have difficulty working together to accomplish complex tasks.