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Distinguishing between ASD and other diagnoses can be challenging because the traits of ASD often overlap with symptoms of other disorders, and the characteristics of ASD make traditional diagnostic procedures difficult. [2] [3] Autism is associated with several genetic disorders, [4] perhaps due to an overlap in genetic causes. [5]
It is also related to several other hypothesized causes; for example, viral infection has been hypothesized to cause autism via an autoimmune mechanism. [102] Interactions between the immune system and the nervous system begin early during embryogenesis, and successful neurodevelopment depends on a balanced immune response.
Autism is correlated or comorbid with several personality traits/disorders. [179] Comorbidity may increase with age and may worsen the course of youth with ASDs and make intervention and treatment more difficult. Distinguishing between ASDs and other diagnoses can be challenging because the traits of ASDs often overlap with symptoms of other ...
Autism has multiple causes. This article focuses on heritable causes. The heritability of autism is the proportion of differences in expression of autism that can be explained by genetic variation; if the heritability of a condition is high, then the condition is considered to be primarily genetic. Autism has a strong genetic basis.
A related theory—enhanced perceptual functioning—focuses more on the superiority of locally oriented and perceptual operations in autistic individuals. [74] Yet another, monotropism, posits that autism stems from a different cognitive style, tending to focus attention (or processing resources) intensely, to the exclusion of other stimuli. [75]
Special interests were later one of the traits listed when autism first appeared in the DSM-III in 1980. [2] In 2024, special interests are listed as a diagnostic trait of autism in the current DSM-5-TR, described as "highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (e.g., strong attachment to or preoccupation with ...
A high-functioning group (around 25 percent) whose symptoms more or less overlap with that of what was Asperger syndrome, while also not meeting the then current criteria for autism spectrum disorder, but who completely differ from those with Asperger syndrome in terms of having a lag in language development and/or mild cognitive impairment ...
Signs of autism are highly variable, and different individuals will have a different mix of traits. Some more common traits include: Avoidance of eye contact – preference to avoid eye contact and feelings of fear or being overwhelmed when looking into someone's eyes; Developmental delay – slower acquisition of life skills