{"id":383,"date":"2016-09-06T18:05:41","date_gmt":"2016-09-06T18:05:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innerchange.com\/?page_id=383"},"modified":"2024-03-07T13:15:52","modified_gmt":"2024-03-07T20:15:52","slug":"autism-spectrum-disorders","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/innerchange.com\/mental-health-education\/issues\/autism-spectrum-disorders\/","title":{"rendered":"Autism Spectrum Disorders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most of us can relate to some problems with social skills, communication, flexible behavior, or empathy. But a person with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) usually has challenges in all of those areas. However, there is a high degree of variation among people with ASD. The combination of symptoms and level of disability vary considerably. This is why it is referred to as a spectrum disorder.<\/p>\n

ASD was classified as a single disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Health Disorders (DSM – V), but is really comprised of a spectrum of closely related disorders that share core symptoms. The three most common disorders are Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Typically, Asperger’s Syndrome symptoms are milder and people with this disorder are able to function fairly well. Classic autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder can be much more severe on the spectrum. Although the disorders share common symptoms, keep in mind that symptoms vary greatly in severity from person to person. In fact, two people with the same disorder can look completely different in terms of how the disorder manifests.<\/p>\n

3 Important Facts<\/h2>\n