Some children may even get angry or have emotional outbursts, especially when placed in a new or overly stimulating environment.Ĭertain known genetic disorders are associated with an increased risk for autism, including Fragile X syndrome (which causes intellectual disability) and tuberous sclerosis (which causes benign tumors to grow in the brain and other vital organs) - each of which results from a mutation in a single, but different, gene. Many people with ASD seem to thrive so much on routine that changes to the daily patterns of life - like an unexpected stop on the way home from school - can be very challenging. Children may also become obsessively interested in a particular topic such as airplanes or memorizing train schedules.
They may become preoccupied with parts of objects like the wheels on a toy truck. Many children with ASD engage in repetitive movements or unusual behaviors such as flapping their arms, rocking from side to side, or twirling. People with ASD may also speak in flat, robot-like or a sing-song voice about a narrow range of favorite topics, with little regard for the interests of the person to whom they are speaking. For example, young children with ASD might not understand what it means to wave goodbye. In addition, people with ASD can have a hard time using and understanding non-verbal cues such as gestures, body language, or tone of voice. Some children with ASD may have delayed speech and language skills, may repeat phrases, and give unrelated answers to questions. People with ASD may have very different verbal abilities ranging from no speech at all to speech that is fluent, but awkward and inappropriate. People with ASD may find it difficult to understand other people’s feelings or talk about their own feelings.
Often children with ASD do not understand how to play or engage with other children and may prefer to be alone. Children with ASD may fail to respond to their names, avoid eye contact with other people, and only interact with others to achieve specific goals. The mutual give-and-take nature of typical communication and interaction is often particularly challenging.
Many people with ASD find social interactions difficult. Social impairment and communication difficulties The severity of ASD can vary greatly and is based on the degree to which social communication, insistence of sameness of activities and surroundings, and repetitive patterns of behavior affect the daily functioning of the individual. In other cases, children may develop normally until the second or even third year of life, but then start to withdraw and become indifferent to social engagement. They may become overly focused on certain objects, rarely make eye contact, and fail to engage in typical babbling with their parents.
The latest analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 68 children has ASD.Įven as infants, children with ASD may seem different, especially when compared to other children their own age. However, boys are significantly more likely to develop ASD than girls. A diagnosis of ASD includes an assessment of intellectual disability and language impairment.ĪSD occurs in every racial and ethnic group, and across all socioeconomic levels.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5, published in 2013) includes Asperger syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorders not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) as part of ASD rather than as separate disorders.
Some children and adults with ASD are fully able to perform all activities of daily living while others require substantial support to perform basic activities. The term “spectrum” refers to the wide range of symptoms, skills, and levels of disability in functioning that can occur in people with ASD. The symptoms are present from early childhood and affect daily functioning. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a group of complex neurodevelopment disorders characterized by repetitive and characteristic patterns of behavior and difficulties with social communication and interaction.