| Autism spectrum disorder |
| Other names |
|
 |
| Repetitively stacking or lining up objects is a common trait associated with autism. |
| 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 |
| Complications |
Social isolation, educational and employment problems,[1] anxiety,[1] stress,[1] bullying, depression,[1][2] self-harm |
| 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 psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, pediatricians, and speech-language pathologists). For adults, the use of a patient's written and oral history of autistic traits becomes more important |
| 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,[3] learning disorders (mainly speech disorders) |
| Management |
Applied behavior analysis, cognitive behavioral therapy, occupational therapy, psychotropic medication,[4] speech–language pathology |
| Frequency |
- One in 100 people (1%) worldwide[5]
|
