Autism Spectrum Disorder

(National Institute of Mental Health)

 Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects
communication and behavior.
 described as a “developmental disorder” because symptoms generally
appear in the first two years of life.
 Autism is known as a “spectrum” disorder because there is wide variation
in the type and severity of symptoms people experience.
 There is often nothing about how they look that sets them apart from other
people.
 According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM-5), people with ASD have:
⊲ Difficulty with communication and interaction with other people
⊲ Restricted interests and repetitive behaviors
⊲ Symptoms that affect the person’s ability to function in school, work, and
other areas of life
(University of Arizona Health Sciences)
 Diagnosing ASD is complex because it presents variety of ways. It
requires serious of screening tools, interventions,
 Early screening and diagnosis can be one of the effective tools to develop
appropriate treatment plans and to develop their strengths.

People with ASD may behave, communicate, interact, and learn in ways that
are different from most other people. The abilities of people with ASD can
vary significantly. For example, some people with ASD may have advanced
conversation skills whereas others may be nonverbal. Some people with ASD
need a lot of help in their daily lives; others can work and live with little to no
support.

 Savantism/Savant skill is more commonly found in Autism Sepectrum

disorder than in any other neurological group see Howlin 2009)
 The American Association on Mental Deficiency (AAMD Grossman 1983)
defined “savant” as “Person with obvious mental retardation who are
 capable of performing in sharply circumcised areas at a remarkably high
level”
 In Rimland’s (1978) survey of 5400 children with autism, 531 were
reported by parents to have special abilities and 10 percent incidence of
savant syndrome has become generally accepted figure in autistic
disorder.

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/sites/default/files/documents/health/publications/
autism-spectrum-disorder/19-mh-8084-autismspectrumdisorder.pdf

https://youtu.be/4cvK8BEJodA?si=Dr5vWE50mEWd7Aq7