Autism spectrum

The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism, autism spectrum disorder or sometimes autism spectrum condition, identifies a loosely defined cluster of neurodevelopmental issues characterized by challenges in... Wikipedia

  • Specialty:  Psychiatry, clinical psychology, pediatrics, occupational medicine
  • Symptoms:  Difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and the presence of repetitive behavior or restricted interests
  • Usual onset:  Early childhood
  • Duration:  Lifelong
  • Causes:  Multifactorial, with many uncertain factors
  • Risk factors:  Family history, certain genetic conditions, having older parents, certain prescribed drugs, perinatal and neonatal health issues
  • Diagnostic method:  Based on combination of clinical observation of behavior and development and comprehensive diagnostic testing completed by a team of qualified professionals (including clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, pediatricians, and speech-language pathologists)
  • Differential diagnosis:  Intellectual disability, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, Rett syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizoid personality disorder, selective mutism, schizophrenia, obsessive–compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, Einstein syndrome, PTSD, learning disorders (mainly speech disorders), social anxiety
  • Frequency:  1 in 100 children (1%) worldwide
  • Data source:  DuckDuckGo