What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), hereafter referred to as Autism (which includes Asperger's Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified [PDD-NOS]), is a complex lifelong developmental condition that typically appears during early childhood and can impacts a person's social skills, communication, relationships, and self-regulation.
The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that as many as 1 in every 31 children in the United States meet diagnostic criteria for Autism. Autism is seen in all racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds. Autism Spectrum Disorder is over 4 times more common among boys than among girls the same age. However, recent research suggests that girl may not display characteristics of Autism in the same way boys and might go undiagnosed because of their different presentation.
The first signs of ASD are typically present before the age of three and last throughout the lifespan. As the name indicates, there is a significant and complex range of characteristics that can present in any combination and range in severity with an Autism diagnosis. No two individuals with Autism are the same.
While there is a great deal of variability across the Autism spectrum, there are primary characteristics that are common among individuals with Autism, specifically related to social, emotional and language development. Due to differences in the brain, people with Autism often have different ways of processing, interpreting and reacting to information, stimuli, and/or people. For more information on the specific characteristics associated with Autism spectrum disorders, visit the CDC’s list of “Signs and Symptoms”.
Additionally, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has a list of “Red Flags” to give caregivers information about what to look for in an individual’s development, which can be found here.
For additional facts & statistics about Autism, click here, or visit the Virginia Commonwealth University Autism Center for Excellence (VCU-ACE).
For more detailed information on Autism during different developmental stages, click the categories below:
Screening and Diagnosis
Autism is characterized in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), which is used by clinicians to diagnose Autism.
Some examples can include:
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Persistent differences in communication, interpersonal relationships, and social interaction across different environments.
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What this can look like: Being nonverbal, nonspeaking, or having atypical speech patterns, having trouble understanding nonverbal communication, difficulty making and keeping friends, difficulty maintaining typical back-and-forth conversational style.
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Restricted and repetitive behavior, patterns, activities and interests.
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What this can look like: Repeating sounds or phrases (echolalia), repetitive movements, preference for sameness and difficulty with transition or routine, rigid or highly restricted and intense interests. extreme sensitivity to, or significantly lower sensitivity to, sensory stimuli.
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Signs and Characteristics
Autism impacts an individual throughout the lifespan. However, research shows that early diagnosis can lead to improved quality of life. The behaviors of Autism may be apparent in infancy, but they usually become clearer during early childhood. As a part of a regular health visit, your child's doctor should perform developmental screenings focused on Autism. This screening is recommended at ages 18 and 24 month for all children
Your doctor will encourage you to ask specific questions about your child's developmental progress. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Milestones Checklist can be used as a guide to track your child's development from 2 months to 5 years. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a list of Signs and Symptoms, which can be found here.
