Autism, also called autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by symptoms of deficient reciprocal social communication and the presence of restricted, repetitive and inflexible patterns of behavior that are impairing in multiple contexts and excessive or atypical to be developmentally and socioculturally inappropriate. Other common signs include difficulty with social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, along with perseverative interests, stereotypic body movements, rigid routines, and hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input. Autism is clinically regarded as a spectrum disorder, meaning that it can manifest very differently in each person. For example, some are nonspeaking, while others have proficient spoken language. Because of this, there is wide variation in the support needs of people across the autism spectrum.
Psychiatry has traditionally classified autism as a mental disorder, but the autism rights movement (and an increasing number of researchers) see autistic people as part of humanity's natural neurodiversity. From this point of view, autistic people may also be diagnosed with a disability of some sort, but that disability may be rooted in the systemic structures of a society rather than in the person; thus, proponents argue that autistic people should be accommodated rather than cured. The neurodiversity perspective has led to significant controversy among those who are autistic and advocates, practitioners, and charities.
There are many theories about the causes of autism; it is highly heritable and mainly genetic, but many genes are involved, and environmental factors may also be relevant. The syndrome frequently co-occurs with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, epilepsy, and intellectual disability. Disagreements persist about what should be included as part of the diagnosis, whether there are meaningful subtypes or stages of autism, and the significance of autism-associated traits in the wider population. The combination of broader criteria, increased awareness, and the potential increase of actual prevalence, has led to a trend of steadily increasing estimates of autism prevalence, unintentionally aiding the disproven myth perpetuated by anti-vaccine activists that it is caused by vaccines.
There is no cure for autism. Although early intervention services based on applied behavior analysis (ABA) can help children gain self-care, social, and language skills, independent living is unlikely in more severe forms of the condition. Speech and occupational therapy, as well as augmentative and alternative modes of communication, are effective adjunctive therapies, but some in the autism rights movement consider ABA therapy unethical and unhelpful. Pharmacological treatments may also be useful; the atypical antipsychotics risperidone and aripiprazole are empirically validated for alleviating co-morbid irritability, though these drugs tend to be associated with sedation and weight gain.
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