What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? 

Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, is a chronic neurological and developmental disorder. People are born with ASD, but it usually becomes noticeable in early childhood or school age. ASD affects social interaction, communication, learning, and behavior, and comes with strengths and challenges. 

Each person with ASD is unique. Some might be non-verbal, while others can communicate without problems. Some are highly intelligent, while others have cognitive challenges.

It is important to understand that ASD cannot be prevented, and it is not caused by anything something did wrong.  

ASD was introduced in 2013 to acknowledge a wide variety of related disorders. Previously, ASD was divided into subgroups like Asperger’s Syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD), or unspecified form of pervasive development disorder. However, these subgroups were not helpful because symptoms and severity varied so widely. Sometimes, even family members with similar genetic risk factors were categorized into different subtypes. To address these difficulties, the DSM-5 manual, the reference book for diagnosing mental health and brain-related conditions and disorders published and regularly reviewed by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), consolidated these conditions under the umbrella term ASD.