autistic

Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing differences, focused interests, and repetitive behaviors. For a formal diagnosis, these characteristics must cause clinically significant challenges greater than what is typical for a person's age and culture and must affect several areas of daily life. Motor coordination difficulties are common but not required. Because autism is a spectrum disorder, presentations vary and support needs range from minimal to being non-speaking or needing 24-hour care.
Autism diagnoses have risen since the 1990s, largely because of broader diagnostic criteria, greater awareness, and wider access to assessment. Changing social demands may also play a role. The World Health Organization estimates that about 1 in 100 children were diagnosed between 2012 and 2021 and notes the increasing trend. Surveillance studies in community samples of adults suggest a similar share of the adult population would meet diagnostic criteria if formally assessed. This rise has fueled anti-vaccine activists' disproven claim that vaccines cause autism, based on a fraudulent 1998 study that was later retracted. Autism is highly heritable and involves many genes, while environmental factors appear to have only a small, mainly prenatal role. Boys are diagnosed several times more often than girls, and conditions such as anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), epilepsy, and intellectual disability are more common among autistic people.
Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition with core characteristics that appear in early life. Interventions such as various autism therapies, speech therapy, and occupational therapy can help increase self-care and social and language skills. Reducing environmental and social barriers helps autistic people participate more fully in education, employment, and other aspects of life. No medication addresses the core features of autism, but some are used to help manage commonly comorbid conditions, such as anxiety, depression, irritability, ADHD, and epilepsy.
Autistic people are found in every demographic group and, with appropriate supports that promote independence and self-determination, can participate fully in their communities and lead meaningful, productive lives. The idea of autism as a disorder has been challenged by the neurodiversity framework, which frames autistic traits as a healthy variation of the human condition. This perspective, promoted by the autism rights movement, has gained research attention, but remains a subject of debate and controversy among autistic people, advocacy groups, healthcare providers, and charities.

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