Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects someone’s ability to communicate and interact socially with others. While it can be diagnosed at any point in life, signs of ASD normally appear within the first two years of life, thus giving it the “developmental disorder” title. While there have been multiple genes that have strong ties to ASD, research has yet to find conclusive evidence of a single cause for the disorder. It is much more likely that ASD arises from a web of genetic and environmental factors that cannot be distilled down to a single cause.
Some symptoms of ASD include difficulty understanding nonverbal social cues, trouble maintaining conversations, and restricted/repetitive/stereotyped interests or behaviors (stimming). People with ASD may also experience delayed cognitive and learning skills. Symptoms of ASD are very similar to those of Asperger’s syndrome, and not without reason. Autism spectrum disorder previously had Asperger’s syndrome under its umbrella. Asperger’s was discontinued as a diagnosis in 2013 due to overlap in symptoms.