| Autism |
| Other names |
|
| Specialty |
Psychiatry (neuropsychiatry), clinical psychology, pediatrics, occupational medicine |
| Symptoms |
Difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication; inflexible routines; narrow, restricted interests; repetitive body movements; unusual sensory responses |
| Complications |
Social isolation, educational and employment problems, anxiety, stress, bullying, depression, self-harm, suicidality |
| Usual onset |
Early childhood |
| Duration |
Lifelong |
| Causes |
Multifactorial, with many uncertain factors, contributing 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 |
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, language disorders, social (pragmatic) communication disorder, selective mutism, stereotypic movement disorder, Rett syndrome, anxiety disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders |
| Management |
Positive behavior support,[2][3] applied behavior analysis, cognitive behavioral therapy, occupational therapy, psychotropic medication,[4] speech–language pathology |
| Frequency |
One in 100 people (1%) worldwide[5][6] |
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