What is autism?

Autism is a genetic condition characterized by a child's brain function difference, which influences their interaction with the world around them. It is a congenital disability, not influenced by factors like parenting style, diet, or vaccines. The exact cause of autism remains unknown.

• Autism isn't a disease: The goal of treating autism is not to cure it but to help your child identify and utilize their strengths while managing any challenges they may face.
• Autistic people are Neuro-divergent: Neuro-divergent refers to individuals with brains that differ from typical individuals, resulting in strengths in certain areas and needing more support in others.
• Autism is a spectrum: Autism is an unusual condition that falls within the entire range of personality traits, strengths, and challenges of any other human being on this earth. Both autistic children and adults fall under this spectrum, making every individual unique in their way.
• Autism is often misunderstood: Over the years, people and doctors have made harmful statements and actions towards autistic individuals, such as using strict methods in early behavioral therapy. Although we cannot erase this history, we have learned from it and now use therapies that help autistic children and their families develop skills without forcing them into a specific mold. However, many myths about autism persist.

This emphasizes the importance of using appropriate language when discussing autism, acknowledging that healthcare providers' "medspeak" may not accurately represent the lived experiences of autistic individuals or their families. It emphasizes that autism is an identity, not just a diagnosis, and supports families.

What is autism spectrum disorder?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the complete medical name for autism. A book called the DSM-5-TR defines autism spectrum disorder as a difference in brain functioning that affects how a person communicates and interacts with others. For example, an autistic person may not use eye contact or body language in the same ways as someone who's neurotypical.

This brain difference also affects various aspects of a person's behavior, interests, or activities. For example, they may repeat the same movements or sounds (a behavior known as "stimming") to regulate their emotions. They may also prefer a fixed routine and value sameness over change.

What are the signs and symptoms of autism?

Autism symptoms — more accurately called characteristics — are specific behaviors that healthcare providers look for when diagnosing autism and deciding what kinds of support your child might need. There are many autism characteristics, and no two kids share the same ones. Providers organize these characteristics into two main categories:

• Difficulties with social communication and interaction. These affect how your child socializes.
• Restricted and repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities. These affect how your child acts.

As a parent, you're probably used to looking for signs that something isn't right – like a fever or swollen glands. But autism characteristics aren't signs that something's wrong — instead, they're signs of difference. And they're cues that your child may need some support to manage society's expectations and demands, which are often designed for neurotypical people.

What causes autism?

Researchers haven't found a single cause of autism. It's likely a combination of genetics and specific things related to pregnancy, labor, and delivery (what you might see referred to as "environmental factors" or "prenatal events"). These factors all interact to lead to the brain differences we see in autism.

Specific things that may make autism more likely in your child include:

• Becoming pregnant over age 35.
• Becoming pregnant within 12 months of having another baby.
• Having gestational diabetes.
• Having bleeding during pregnancy.
• Using certain medications (like valproate) while pregnant.
• Smaller than expected fetal size (intrauterine growth restriction).
• Reduced oxygen to the fetus during pregnancy or delivery.
• Giving birth early.

These factors may directly change how your baby's brain develops. Or they may affect how certain genes work, in turn leading to brain differences.

What should I know about autism treatment?

Because autism isn't a disease, providers don't "treat" it. After all, it isn't something that "goes away" or can be "cured." It's simply the way your child's brain works. And it's a part of their identity that'll always remain in some form — even if specific characteristics become more or less noticeable over time.

However, providers do manage the aspects of autism that may pose challenges for your child or keep them from maximizing their strengths. Management involves a range of therapies that help your child build skills (like social communication) they'll need now and in the future. Some therapies teach you and other family member’s strategies for supporting your child. The earlier such support begins (ideally before age 3), the more it can benefit your child in the long run.

Examples of specific therapies include:

• Behavioral therapies, like applied behavior analysis (ABA).
• Family therapy.
• Speech therapy.
• Occupational therapy.
• Treatment for co-occurring conditions

Some autistic kids have other conditions that need support or treatment. Conditions that may co-occur with autism include:

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Anxiety disorders.
• Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
• Conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder.
• Bipolar disorders.
• Depressive disorders.
• Digestive issues like constipation.
• Intellectual disabilities.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• Schizophrenia spectrum disorder.
• Sleep disorders.
• Providers manage or treat these conditions with things like:
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
• Referrals for educational support, such as creating an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to meet your child's learning needs.

Is ASD a Neurodevelopmental disorder?

Yes. ASD falls within the more significant umbrella category of neurodevelopmental disorders. These are conditions affecting a child's brain function that become noticeable very early in life — often before or soon after starting school.

Some kids with ASD also have other neurodevelopmental disorders, like attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or an intellectual disability.

In the past, providers used several different names to describe neurodevelopmental disorders with features of autism:

• Autistic disorder.
• Asperger's disorder.
• Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).
• Childhood disintegrative disorder.

Providers now recognize that autism is a spectrum with a wide range of features, and autistic kids need varying levels of support. So, instead of using these other names, providers use ASD as the official diagnosis and then describe specific features and needs unique to each child.

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