These individuals are less likely to initiate conversation, show less interest in peer interactions and overall find it difficult to adjust their behaviour according to different social situations. Nonverbal communication is also impaired and may include poor eye contact, difficulties in understanding facial expressions and descriptive gestures, to name a few.Īnother important feature of individuals with ASD is deficits in socio-emotional reciprocity. These deficits range from speech delays, monotonous speech, echolalia, pronoun reversal, poor comprehension to a complete lack of spoken language. Social communicationĭepending on age and intellectual abilities, children diagnosed with autism have a varying degree of communication deficits. Individuals suffering from ASD need varying levels of psychosocial support to achieve relative independence, and in some cases, may need continuous care. Symptoms lead to significant impairment in multiple domains of adaptive functioning. Clinical presentationĪutism is currently conceptualized as a spectrum disorder with significant variations in patients’ social, communicative and intellectual abilities. However, it is unclear whether these numbers represent a true increase in prevalence, or are the result of increased awareness, differences in study methodology, or inclusion of subthreshold cases. 4 This figure is ~30% higher than what was reported in 2012 by the Center for Disease Control as 1 in 88 children having autism. There has been a dramatic increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders, with current estimates of 1 in 68 children in the United States having ASD. Increase in prevalence of autism spectrum disorder This review provides a broader understanding of research findings, highlights current areas of agreement and controversies, clinical implications as well as critical issues for the research. 5 In order to ensure best standards of care for these individuals, it is important for clinicians to have a better understanding of the disorder. 4 The diagnostic process of ASD is complex and recent changes in diagnostic criteria and how the disorder is conceptualized has initiated a discussion among professionals, policy makers as well as patients and their families. The disorder is evident in all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups.

2 Kanner 3 wrote the first published description of autism in 1943 and after one year, Hans Asperger, a paediatrician from University of Vienna wrote about a group of children with almost similar pattern of behaviours as Kanner’s. Autism, ASD, DSM-5, genetics, MMR IntroductionĪutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, 1 characterized by persistent impairment in reciprocal communication and social interactions as well as restricted repetitive pattern of behaviours, interests or activities.

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