Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism spectrum disorder is a condition related to brain development that affects how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication. It includes conditions that previously were considered separate, including autism, Asperger's syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and an unspecified form of pervasive developmental disorder.

Autism affects children and adults in three areas: communication, social interaction, and behaviors. Children with autism spectrum disorder may struggle with recognizing their emotions and may feel them more intensely. Regulating their anger and frustration can be difficult and lead to intense bursts of emotion. Children with autism also have higher rates of anxiety and depression.

Each child with autism spectrum disorder is likely to have a distinctive pattern of behavior and level of severity. A healthcare professional will generally describe the severity of the condition based on the person's level of impairments and how those affect their ability to function.

A child or adult with autism spectrum disorder may have problems with social interaction and communication skills, including any of these signs:

• Can't start a conversation, keep one going, or can only start one to make requests or label items.
• Doesn't appear to understand simple questions or directions.
• Doesn't express emotions or feelings and appears unaware of others' feelings.
• Doesn't speak or has delayed speech.
• Fails to respond to their name or appears not to hear you sometimes.
• Has difficulty recognizing nonverbal cues, such as interpreting other people's facial expressions, body postures, or tone of voice.
• Has poor eye contact and lacks facial expression.
• Inappropriately approaches a social interaction by being passive, aggressive, or disruptive.
• Prefers playing alone.
• Repeats words or phrases verbatim but doesn't understand how to use them.