Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder: Signs, Diagnosis, and Support
Complete our online AI-based assessment and receive more information on possible causes and recommendations on how to assist your child.
Now known more correctly as autism spectrum disorder, this neurodevelopmental condition is often identified and diagnosed before a toddler turns 3 years old. This was not always the cause – only with increased awareness regarding the signs and symptoms of autism, and how as a spectrum disorder it may look different in different individuals, has it been possible to diagnose it earlier in childhood.
It is a neurodevelopmental condition which mainly affects the social, emotional and communication skills of those affected. It was once a collection of disorders, each with their own name and diagnosis – autism, Asperger’s are some examples of these – but it is now referred to as a spectrum disorder, with individuals diagnosed at points on the spectrum according to the severity and presentation of their symptoms.
Autism is a neurologically diverse spectrum disorder with many possible markers, from social differences to unique physical features. Many parents of autistic children feel concerned that their child has a disorder. Others may believe that their child is either not capable of everyday function, or is extraordinarily gifted and brilliant. In fact, autism is a wide-ranging category of behaviors and characteristics, and can be associated with high intelligence, irregularly distributed intellectual developmental disorder, or simply average intelligence with non-average ways of processing information. The ways that we assess children and adults should be respectfully individual-based and built on an awareness that neurodiversity is a valuable part of our world.
With an estimated 1 in 59 American children affected by autism, it is important that parents and caregivers understand how to identify the signs of autism in children of all ages. Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that mainly affects an individual’s ability to communicate and socialize with others. The age at which children are diagnosed with autism varies greatly, with some currently diagnosed as early as 18 months old. However, the majority of children are still diagnosed after the age of 3 years old.
Autism is a developmental and neurological condition that affects an individual’s behavior, socialization, and communication skills. Usually, it is identified by the time a child turns three years old. However, autism is a spectrum disorder, which means that individuals with it may present with symptoms that range from mild to severe. Individuals with mild symptoms may make it into adulthood without receiving a comprehensive diagnosis because they managed to mask their symptoms growing up. In other instances, a lack of support or awareness around their symptoms might have meant they never received a diagnosis.
Autism is a developmental condition that affects how people communicate, express themselves, socialize and learn. It is a spectrum disorder, and individuals may be classed as high functioning, or less so, depending on where they come on the spectrum.
In recent years increased research into autism (and in particular a 2013 study of 2500 children), how it is diagnosed, and how it presents in different individuals has revealed that girls are more likely to be misdiagnosed or undiagnosed for autism than their male counterparts.
Mild autism in itself is not an official diagnosis term. There is no specific form of autism known as mild autism. In 2015 the diagnostic criteria for autism underwent a significant change with the publication of the DSM-5. These criteria created one universal diagnosis – autism spectrum disorder – and included within that diagnosis a level of support for each individual found to be on the spectrum. These criteria replaced the labels of Asperger’s, mild autism, and high functioning autism that had come to characterize the different ways in which autism presents in other individuals.
It is a lifelong, spectrum disorder that affects an individual’s social, behavioral, and communication skills. While it has yet no exact cause, the signs and symptoms of autism are increasingly identifiable as awareness of the disorder develops amongst medical professionals, parents, caregivers, and educators.