Autism: According to the DSM 5
Autism Spectrum Disorder: A broad range of conditions referring to challenges with social skills and language characterized by nonverbal communication, and rigid or repetitive behaviors.
Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as manifested by 3 out 3 of the following, currently or by history
Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity:
Abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation
Reduced sharing of interests and emotions
Failure to initiate or respond to social interactions
Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction:
Poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication
Abnormalities in eye contact and body language
Deficits in understanding and use of gestures
Total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication
Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships:
Difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts
Difficulties in sharing imaginative play or in making friends
Absence of interest in peers
Symptoms must:
Be present in the early developmental period, however, they may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities.
Cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.
Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two out of 4 of the following, currently or by history
Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements:
Use of objects, or speech repeatedly or in an ordered fashion
Echolalia,
Idiosyncratic phrases
Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns or verbal nonverbal behavior:
Extreme distress at small changes
Difficulties with transitions
Rigid thinking patterns
Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus
Strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects
Excessively specialized interest
Hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interests in sensory aspects of the environment:
Apparent indifference to pain/temperature
Adverse response to specific sounds or textures
Excessive smelling or touching of objects
Visual fascination with lights or movement
Specify:
If the symptoms occur with or without accompanying intellectual or impairment language impairment.
If there is a known genetic or environmental factor.
The current severity based on social communication impairments.