Autism Spectrum Disorder

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

See, Play and Learn

• Health Check Tools

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that begins early in childhood and lasts throughout a person's life. It affects how a person acts and interacts with others, communicates, and learns. It includes what used to be known as Asperger syndrome and pervasive developmental disorders.

It is called a "spectrum" disorder because people with ASD can have a range of symptoms. People with ASD might have problems talking with you, or they might not look you in the eye when you talk to them. They may also have restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. They may spend a lot of time putting things in order, or they may say the same sentence again and again. They may often seem to be in their "own world."

At well-child checkups, the health care provider should check your child's development. If there are signs of ASD, your child will have a comprehensive evaluation. It may include a team of specialists, doing various tests and evaluations to make a diagnosis.

The causes of ASD are not known. Research suggests that both genes and environment play important roles.

There is currently no one standard treatment for ASD. There are many ways to increase your child's ability to grow and learn new skills. Starting them early can lead to better results. Treatments include behavior and communication therapies, skills training, and medicines to control symptoms.

NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Start Here

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Also in Spanish
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish

Symptoms

• Signs and Symptoms of Autism (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Autism: Diagnosis (Autism Society)
• Autism: Why Act Early? (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• PTEN Genetic Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Autism: Beware of Potentially Dangerous Therapies and Products (Food and Drug Administration)
• Therapies for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) Also in Spanish
• What Are the Treatments for Autism? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish

Living With

• 100 Day Kit for Newly Diagnosed Families of School Age Children (Autism Speaks) - PDF
• Autism and Your Family (Autism Society)
• Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Diet (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
• Autism through the Lifespan (Autism Society)
• Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Occupational Therapy's Role with Autism (American Occupational Therapy Association) - PDF

Related Issues

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Related Topics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Communication Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) Also in Spanish
• Is There a Connection Between Vaccines and Autism? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Asperger Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary

Genetics

• Genetics Home Reference: 16p11.2 deletion syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: ADNP syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: autism spectrum disorder (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: MBD5-associated neurodevelopmental disorder (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Timothy syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: White-Sutton syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Learning about Autism (National Human Genome Research Institute)

Health Check Tools

• Developmental Milestones (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

• Baby Teeth Link Autism and Heavy Metals, NIH Study Suggests (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
• New Data on Autism: Five Facts to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Prenatal Inflammation Linked to Autism Risk (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Asperger Syndrome (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Autism Spectrum Disorder (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Autistic Disorder (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Development Disorders, Pervasive (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Barriers faced by immigrant families of children with autism: A program...
• Article: Stopping, rationalising or optimising antipsychotic drug treatment in people with intellectual...
• Article: Autism and Religious Beliefs: Clues from Kafka Research.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder -- see more articles
• -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish
• National Institute of Mental Health
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Also in Spanish
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
• Psychologist Locator (American Psychological Association)

Children

• Kids' Quest: Autism (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Teenagers

• Autism (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Asperger syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Autism (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Childhood disintegrative disorder (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish