Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurologically based disability that affects a child’s social skills, communication, and behavior. Read on to learn more from the American Academy of Pediatrics about ASD.

Because most children with ASD will master early motor skills such as sitting, crawling, and walking on time, parents may not initially notice delays in social and communication skills. Looking back, many parents can recall early differences in interaction and communication. However, ASD symptoms may change as children get older and with intervention. While infrequent, some children’s symptoms may improve enough that the child might no longer be considered to have a diagnosis of ASD. Many of these children, as they develop, may likely have other developmental, learning, language, or behavioral issues or diagnoses.

The sooner ASD is identified, the sooner an intervention program directed at the child’s symptoms can begin. Each child with ASD has different needs. The intervention that helps one child may not be as helpful for another. Research shows that starting an intervention program as soon as possible can improve outcomes for many children with ASD, so children can and should be referred for diagnosis and early intervention (EI) services as soon as ASD symptoms are noted. The Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (also known as Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA]) requires that each state offers EI services for infants and toddlers with disabilities, birth to 3 years of age, and their families.

Are there different types of ASD?

The symptoms that define ASD are described in a book called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). This manual lists definitions for behavioral, developmental, and psychiatric disorders. Several conditions used to be diagnosed separately under the term pervasive developmental disorders or autism spectrum disorders. Those conditions were autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder—not otherwise specified (PDDNOS), and Asperger syndrome. With publication of the fifth edition of the DSM in May 2013, these terms are no longer used and these conditions are now grouped into the category of autism spectrum disorder, or ASD.

How common is ASD?

ASD affects an estimated 1 out of every 59 children. This statistic is based on 2014 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that was published in 2018. Boys are diagnosed as having ASD about 5 times more often than girls.

The number of children reported to have ASD has increased since the early 1990s, and the increase could be caused by many factors. For instance,

• Many families are more aware of ASD.
• Pediatricians are doing more screening for ASD and children are identified earlier.
• There have been changes in how ASD has been defined and diagnosed. In the past, only children with the most severe ASD symptoms were diagnosed.
• Now children with milder symptoms are being identified and referred for intervention and educational programs.

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