Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is considered a developmental disability that is characterized by challenges with speech, language and non-verbal communication, social skills and repetitive behaviors.  These individuals have difficulty forming and maintaining relationships, engage in stereotypical or repetitive motor movements, have fixated interests, and often have difficulty processing sensory information.  These deficits do not look the same in every individual and.  It should be noted that can range greatly in severity these individuals often have very unique strengths and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost half demonstrate average or above average intelligence.

Some typical signs of autism include:

Deficits in social interaction – avoids eye contact, prefers to be alone, can’t understand others’ feelings

Delayed communication – speech and language deficits

Echolalia – repeats words/phrases over and over

Tendency to engage in repetitive behaviors

Restricted interests

Difficulty tolerating changes to routine or environment

Sensory processing problems – responds unusually to touch, sound, light, etc.