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A neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. Some people with ASD have a known difference, such as a genetic condition. Other causes are not yet known. Scientists believe there are multiple causes of ASD that act together to change the most common ways people develop. We still have much to learn about these causes and how they impact people with ASD.

People with ASD may behave, communicate, interact, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. There is often nothing about how they look that sets them apart from 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.

ASD begins before the age of 3 years and can last throughout a person's life, although symptoms may improve over time. Some children show ASD symptoms within the first 12 months of life. In others, symptoms may not show up until 24 months of age or later. Some children with ASD gain new skills and meet developmental milestones until around 18 to 24 months of age, and then they stop gaining new skills or lose the skills they once had.

As children with ASD become adolescents and young adults, they may have difficulties developing and maintaining friendships, communicating with peers and adults, or understanding what behaviors are expected in school or on the job. They may come to the attention of healthcare providers because they also have conditions such as anxiety, depression, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which occur more often in people with ASD than in people without ASD.

Signs and Symptoms

People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention. These characteristics can make life very challenging. It is important to note that some people without ASD might also have some of these symptoms.
Learn more about signs and symptoms of ASD "
Diagnosis

Diagnosing ASD can be difficult since there is no medical test, like a blood test, to diagnose the disorder. Doctors look at the child's behavior and development to make a diagnosis. ASD can sometimes be detected at 18 months of age or younger. By age 2, a diagnosis by an experienced professional can be considered reliable. However, many children do not receive a final diagnosis until they are much older. Some people are not diagnosed until they are adolescents or adults. This delay means that people with ASD might not get the early help they need.
Learn more about screening and diagnosis of ASD "
Treatment

Current treatments for ASD seek to reduce symptoms that interfere with daily functioning and quality of life. ASD affects each person differently, meaning that people with ASD have unique strengths and challenges and different treatment needs. 2 Treatment plans usually involve multiple professionals and are catered to the individual.
Learn about treating the symptoms of ASD "
Risk Factors

There is not just one cause of ASD. There are many different factors that have been identified that may make a child more likely to have ASD, including environmental, biologic, and genetic factors.

Although we know little about specific causes, the available evidence suggests that the following may put children at greater risk for developing ASD:

Having a sibling with ASD

Having certain genetic or chromosomal conditions, such as fragile X syndrome or tuberous sclerosis

Experiencing complications at birth

Being born to older parents

CDC is currently working on one of the largest U.S. studies to date on ASD. This study called the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED), was designed to look at the risk factors and behaviors related with ASD. CDC is now conducting a follow-up study of older children who were enrolled in SEED to determine the health, functioning, and needs of people with ASD and other developmental disabilities as they mature.

How Often ASD Occurs

CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network has been estimating the number of 8-year-old children with ASD in the United States since 2000.

ASD occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. It is more than 4 times more common among boys than among girls.
Learn more about how CDC estimates the number of children with ASD "
If You're Concerned

As a parent, you already have what it takes to help your young child learn and grow. CDC has developed materials to help you track your child's developmental milestones and share that progress, or any concerns, with your child's doctor at every check-up.
Learn more about CDC milestone checklists and other parent materials "
Contact your child's doctor if you think your child might have ASD or if you have any other concerns about the way your child plays, learns, speaks, or acts.

If you are still concerned, ask the doctor for a referral to a specialist who can do a more in-depth evaluation of your child. Specialists who can do a more in-depth evaluation and make a diagnosis include

Developmental pediatricians (doctors who have special training in child development and children with special needs)

Child neurologists (doctors who work on the brain, spine, and nerves)

Child psychologists or psychiatrists (doctors who know about the human mind)

At the same time, call your state's public early childhood system to request a free evaluation, sometimes called a Child Find evaluation, to find out if your child qualifies for intervention services. You do not need to wait for a doctor's referral or a medical diagnosis to make this call.

Where to call for a free evaluation from the state depends on your child's age:

If your child is not yet 3 years old, contact your local early intervention system.
You can find the right contact information for your state by calling the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) at 919-962-2001.

If your child is 3 years old or older, contact your local public school system.

Even if your child is not yet old enough for kindergarten or enrolled in a public school, call your local elementary school or board of education and ask to speak with someone who can help you have your child evaluated.

If you're not sure who to contact, call the ECTA at 919-962-2001.

Research shows that early intervention services can greatly improve a child's development. In order to make sure your child reaches their full potential, it is very important to receive services as soon as possible.

References

1. Lord C, Risi S, DiLavore PS, Shulman C, Thurm A, Pickles A. Autism from 2 to 9 years of age. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2006 Jun;63(6):694-701.

2. Hyman, S.L., Levy, S.E., Myers, S.M., & AAP Council on Children with Disabilities, Section on developmental and behavioral pediatrics. (2020). Identification, evaluation, and management of children with autism spectrum disorder. Pediatrics, 145(1), e20193447.

3. Handleman, J.S., Harris, S., eds. Preschool Education Programs for Children with Autism (2nd ed). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. 2000.

4. National Research Council. Educating Children with Autism. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001.

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Basics About Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) | NCBDDD | CDC

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Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. CDC is working to find out how many children have ASDs, discover the risk factors, and raise awareness of the signs.

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Autism spectrum disorder is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication. The disorder also includes limited and repetitive patterns of behavior.

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1 in 36 children in the U.S. have autism, up from the previous rate of 1 in 44. 1 in 45 adults in the U.S. have autism. In the U.S., about 4 in 100 boys and 1 in 100 girls have autism. Boys are nearly 4 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls.

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https://behavioral-innovations.com/blog/exploring-the-intersection-of-autism-and-gender-identity/#:~:text=For%20instance%2C%20a%20study%20found,people%20to%20experience%20autistic%20traits.

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The core characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) include difficulties with social and communication skills as well as having specific restricted or repetitive behaviors. These autism traits are present in many areas of daily life including how one experiences gender identity. Historically, it was questioned whether people with autism could develop a gender identity. But studies now show that that they can and do experience gender identity, except in the rare circumstance in which the person is not cognitively able to understand gender in terms of whether they and others are male, female, or another gender.

Gender Dysphoria and Autism

Another term used in the DSM-5 (the classification of mental disorders - which also identifies autism spectrum disorder) is known as gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria is when someone experiences discomfort with the sex they were assigned at birth, and they identify with another gender instead. They have a strong desire to be a gender different from the one they were assigned at birth. Like autism, gender dysphoria is becoming more common. This is likely due to greater awareness, greater acceptance, along with other social and psychological factors.

Some research suggests there could be a link between autism and gender dysphoria, meaning that people with autism spectrum disorder might be more likely to experience gender dysphoria than people of the general population. There is minimal evidence for why this is the case, which suggests that more research is needed in this area.

Non-Conforming to Gender Expectations

People with autism often feel socially out-of-place. This might play a role in how they experience gender identity, as well. For instance, people with autism who are born and assigned a female gender might not identify with the way females are expected to behave, think, and look according to society's expectations and pressures. This might be one factor that influences them to question their gender. This could lead to identifying with another gender, such as transgender or nonbinary.

People with autism are more likely to experience atypical gender identity as compared to non-autistic people. Research shows that people who do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth are anywhere from three to six times as likely to have autism spectrum disorder as compared to cisgender people - those who do identify with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Gender Diversity and Autism

Gender-diverse people are also found to have more traits and symptoms of autism than cisgender people. The term 'gender-diverse' refers to people whose gender identity is different from the sex they were assigned at birth. This includes people who identify as transgender, nonbinary, or gender-queer.

In summary, compared to neurotypical people, people with autism spectrum disorder are more likely to be gender diverse and gender diverse people are more likely to have traits of autism.

Some research has explored the relationship between autism and gender identity. For instance, a study found that about 5 percent of the cisgender people in the research study had autism while 24 percent of the gender-diverse people had autism.

As mentioned, gender diverse people are more likely than cisgender people to experience autistic traits. For instance, gender diverse people are more likely to experience sensory difficulties. They might be hypersensitive to certain sensory input. This could be when a person gets overwhelmed by certain noises or when they are extremely uncomfortable by certain textures or if they don't like being in crowds. On the other hand, they might be hyposensitive which is when they seek out sensory input. This could be when a person finds comfort using a weighted blanket or experiencing deep pressure.

Individuality and Autism

Individuals with autism are thought to be less influenced by societal expectations as compared to non-autistic people in some ways. Particularly, they might not conform to gender roles and stereotypes or typical social behaviors. This can make it more difficult for them to fit in socially. This also plays a role in how people with autism tend to be different from others and how they tend to follow their own path in a way. Because of this, it is likely that people with autism are more apt to be open to and to pursue non-traditional gender identities and sexual orientations. Many people on the autism spectrum tend to go against typical binary social expectations.

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Autism

The autistic community has more variability in sexual orientation as compared to the general population. Sexual orientation, which refers to whom a person is attracted to, varies in the autistic community just as it does in the general population; however, people with autism are more likely to experience non-heterosexual sexual orientations. They are more likely to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, or demisexual. They are more likely to be attracted to a person for who they are rather than to a person having the opposite gender. This doesn't mean that people with autism aren't heterosexual. They certainly can be. It just means that people with autism tend to be more likely to have non-heterosexual sexual orientations than those in the general population.

This also relates to their own gender identity. As mentioned earlier, gender identity refers to how a person thinks about their own gender. Those who identify with the gender they were assigned at birth which is typically based on external genitalia are called cisgender. People with autism might be less likely to follow traditional gender roles and expectations and may be more likely to explore the possibility that they don't identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. They are then more likely to identify as non-binary or transgender as compared to the general population of people who are more likely to align their beliefs, behaviors, and perspectives with typical societal messages about who they are and who they should be which includes being cisgender.

References
Anna I.R. Van Der Miesen, Hannah Hurley & Annelou L.C. De Vries (2016) Gender dysphoria and autism spectrum disorder: A narrative review, International Review of Psychiatry, 28:1, 70-80, DOI: 10.3109/09540261.2015.1111199

Dattaro, L. (2020). Largest Study to Date Confirms Overlap Between Autism and Gender Diversity. Retrieved April 23, 2023 from https://doi.org/10.53053/WNHC6713

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Autism and Gender | Behavioral Innovations

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Many children with autism can experience gender dysphoria and diversity. It's important to understand and support your child's experiences with gender. Learn more.

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Not So Different (Autism Awareness song video) - YouTube

YouTube · Cassandra Kubinski

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Behavioral management therapy.

Cognitive behavior therapy.

Early intervention.

Educational and school-based therapies.

Joint attention therapy.

Medication treatment.

Nutritional therapy.

Occupational therapy.

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There is currently no one standard treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Many people with ASD benefit from treatment, no matter how old they are when they are diagnosed. People of all ages, at all levels of ability, can often improve after well-designed interventions.

But there are many ways to help minimize the symptoms and maximize abilities. People who have ASD have the best chance of using all of their abilities and skills if they receive appropriate therapies and interventions.

The most effective therapies and interventions are often different for each person. However, most people with ASD respond best to highly structured and specialized programs. In some cases, treatment can greatly reduce symptoms and help people with autism with daily activities.

Research shows that early diagnosis and interventions, such as during preschool or before, are more likely to have major positive effects on symptoms and later skills. Read more about early interventions for autism.

Because there can be overlap in symptoms between ASD and other disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it's important that treatment focus on a person's specific needs, rather than the diagnostic label.

Select the links for more information on each type of treatment for ASD.

If you have a question about treatment, talk to a health care provider who specializes in caring for people with ASD. These resources have more information about treatments for autism:

Citations

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There is currently no one standard treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).