According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a guide created by the American Psychiatric Association used to diagnose mental disorders, people with ASD have:
Difficulty with communication and interaction with other people
Restricted interests and repetitive behaviors
Symptoms that affect the person’s ability to function in school, work, and other areas of life
Autism is known as a “spectrum” disorder because there is wide variation in the type and severity of symptoms people experience.
ASD occurs in all ethnic, racial, and economic groups. Although ASD can be a lifelong disorder, treatments and services can improve a person’s symptoms and ability to function.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children be screened for autism. All caregivers should talk to their child’s doctor about ASD screening or evaluation.
What are the signs and symptoms of ASD?
People with ASD have difficulty with social communication and interaction and have restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. The list below gives some examples of the types of behaviors that are common in people diagnosed with ASD. Not all people with
ASD will have all behaviors, but most will have several of the behaviors listed below.
Making little or inconsistent eye contact
Having a tendency not to look at or listen to people
Rarely sharing enjoyment of objects or activities by pointing at or showing things to others
Failing to, or being slow to, respond to someone calling their name or to other
verbal attempts to gain attention
Having difficulties with the back and forth of conversation
Often talking at length about a favorite subject without noticing that others are not interested or without giving others a chance to respond
Having facial expressions, movements, and gestures that do not match what is being said
Having an unusual tone of voice that may sound sing-song or flat and robot-like
Having trouble understanding another person’s point of view or being unable to predict or understand other people’s actions
Restrictive/repetitive behaviors may include:
Repeating certain behaviors or having unusual behaviors, such as repeating words or phrases (a behavior called echolalia)
Having a lasting intense interest in certain topics, such as numbers, details, or facts
Having overly focused interests, such as with moving objects or with parts of objects
Getting upset by slight changes in a routine
Being more sensitive or less sensitive than other people to sensory input, such as light, noise, clothing, or temperature
People with ASD may also experience sleep problems and irritability.
Although people with ASD experience many challenges, they may also have many strengths, including:
Being able to learn things in detail and remember information for long periods of time
Being strong visual and auditory learners
Excelling in math, science, music, or art
What are the causes and risk factors for ASD?
Researchers don’t know the exact causes of ASD, but studies suggest that genes can act together with influences from the environment to affect development in ways that lead to ASD. Although scientists are still trying to understand why some people develop ASD and others don’t, some factors that increase the risk of developing ASD include:
Having a sibling with ASD
Having older parents
Having certain genetic conditions (For example, people with conditions such as Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, and Rett syndrome are more likely than others to have ASD.)
Being born with a very low birth weight
Not everyone who has these risk factors develops ASD.
