Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Topic Editor: Evelyn Shaw
evelyn.shaw@unc.eduAutism spectrum disorders, or ASD, is an umbrella term commonly used to describe several developmental disorders in which individuals have substantial differences in the nature of their social development and communication skills, as well as unusual behaviors and interests. ASD is not a diagnostic category, but is widely used to refer to three of the five diagnoses under the category of pervasive developmental disorders. Those three diagnoses are Autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).
See also: Early Identification in Young Children: Autism
Bringing the Early Signs of Autism Spectrum Disorders Into Focus (2013)
Prevalence
- Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years: Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2014 (2018), CDC and NCHS
- CDC's Data and Statistics on Autism
- CDC's Community Report on Autism 2018 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention