Autism

Any one of a group of neurological differences with an onset typically occurring during the preschool years and characterized by varying but often marked and persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction, including difficulties with social-emotional reciprocity, nonverbal communication behaviors, and social relationships, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of interests, behaviors, and/or activities.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the official term used in DSM-5 and DSM-5-TR, where it encompasses and subsumes the disorders formerly known as autism, Asperger’s disorder, and childhood disintegrative disorder, which are no longer considered distinct diagnoses. Medical or genetic disorders that may be associated with ASD, such as Rett’s syndrome, are identified as specifiers of the disorder.

Adapted from the APA Dictionary of Psychology