Autism, clinically termed Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication and interaction, alongside restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or sensory processing. It is a lifelong neurological variation—not a mental illness, not caused by parenting, and not something that needs to be “cured.”

Autism reflects differences in brain development, connectivity, information processing, and sensory integration.

Autism is defined by two primary domains:

• Social Communication and Interaction Differences

These are not deficits in empathy or desire for connection. They reflect differences in communication style, social processing, and reciprocity.

• Differences in back-and-forth conversation flow
• Literal interpretation of language
• Difficulty interpreting implied meaning or social subtext
• Atypical response timing in conversations
   

• Differences in eye contact (reduced, atypical, or intense)
• Limited or atypical facial expression use
• Differences in gesture usage
• Difficulty reading body language or facial cues
   

• Preference for structured or interest-based social interaction
• Difficulty with unstructured social norms
• Challenges understanding unwritten social rules
   

Important distinction:
Autistic individuals often form deep, meaningful relationships. The difference lies in how social information is processed, not whether connection is desired.

This domain includes both observable behaviors and internal patterns.

• Hand flapping
• Rocking
• Echolalia (repeating words/phrases)
• Repetitive vocalizations
   

These behaviors—often called stimming (self-stimulatory behavior)—help regulate sensory input and emotional states.

• Distress with unexpected changes
• Preference for predictable routines
• Cognitive rigidity in some contexts
   

• Deep, specialized knowledge in particular topics
• Intense passion for niche subjects
• Extended engagement in specific interests
   

These “special interests” often support emotional regulation and skill development.

This is a core but sometimes under-emphasized feature.

Autistic individuals may experience:

• Hypersensitivity (over-responsiveness) to sound, light, textures, smells, pain
• Hyposensitivity (under-responsiveness) to sensory input
• Sensory-seeking behaviors
   

Sensory overload can lead to shutdowns or meltdowns.

Autism is a spectrum not in terms of severity from “mild to severe,” but in terms of varied trait combinations and support needs.

Two individuals may both be autistic but present very differently:

• One may be highly verbal and academically advanced but struggle with executive functioning.
• Another may have limited spoken language but strong visual reasoning skills.
   

Support needs range from low to high across:

• Communication
• Daily living
• Social navigation
• Emotional regulation
   

Autism involves differences in:

• Brain Connectivity

Research suggests:

• Differences in long-range and local neural connectivity
• Atypical integration between brain regions
• Variations in default mode network functioning
   

Autistic cognition often demonstrates:

• Detail-focused processing (sometimes described as “weak central coherence”)
• Bottom-up processing dominance (processing details before global context)
• Differences in predictive processing (difficulty anticipating social variability)
   

Differences in how sensory signals are filtered and integrated at cortical and subcortical levels.

• Signs typically appear in early childhood (before age 3), though many individuals—especially girls and high-masking individuals—are diagnosed later.
• Autism is lifelong.
• Traits may shift in expression over time.
• Many adults remain undiagnosed due to masking or outdated diagnostic criteria.
   

Masking refers to consciously or unconsciously suppressing autistic traits to conform socially.

Examples:

• Forcing eye contact
• Rehearsing conversation scripts
• Mimicking facial expressions
• Suppressing stimming
   

Long-term masking is associated with:

• Burnout
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Identity confusion
   

Autism is associated with:

• Intense emotional experiences
• Difficulty modulating emotional intensity
• Shutdowns (internal withdrawal)
• Meltdowns (loss of behavioral control due to overload)
   

Meltdowns are neurological overload responses—not tantrums or behavioral manipulation.

Autism frequently co-occurs with:

• ADHD
• Anxiety disorders
• Depression
• Learning disabilities
• Epilepsy
• Sleep disorders
• Gastrointestinal issues
   

The presence of co-occurring conditions can influence support needs.

Not universal, but frequently reported:

• Deep focus and persistence
• Strong pattern recognition
• Analytical reasoning
• Honesty and direct communication
• Creativity and innovative thinking
• Strong moral framework
   

Strengths often align with special interests.

Diagnosis involves:

• Developmental history
• Clinical observation
• Standardized assessments
• Functional impact evaluation
   

There is no single biological test; diagnosis is behavioral and developmental.

Current diagnostic framework: DSM-5-TR (U.S.) or ICD-11 (international).

Support is individualized and may include:

• Occupational therapy (sensory integration)
• Speech and language therapy (pragmatic communication)
• Executive function coaching
• Environmental accommodations
• Structured routines
• Communication supports (AAC, visual systems)
• Neurodiversity-affirming therapy
   

The goal is not normalization, but increased autonomy and quality of life.

• Not caused by vaccines
• Not a lack of empathy
• Not intellectual disability (though they can co-occur)
• Not a behavioral choice
• Not something someone “grows out of”
   

From a neurodiversity framework, autism is understood as a naturally occurring variation in human cognition and sensory processing. Disability arises largely from environmental mismatch rather than intrinsic defect.

Support focuses on:

• Accommodation
• Self-advocacy
• Strength-based development
• Reducing systemic barriers