Autism

Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a condition characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a need or strong preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing differences, focused interests, or repetitive behaviors. Features of autism are present from early childhood and the condition typically persists throughout life. Autism is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder, and a formal diagnosis requires professional assessment that these characteristics cause significant challenges in daily life beyond what is expecte

neurodevelopmental disorder; type of autism

Echolalia is the repetition of vocalizations made by another person; when repeated by the same person, it is called palilalia. In its profound form it is automatic and effortless. It is one of the echophenomena, closely related to echopraxia, the automatic repetition of movements made by another person; both are "subsets of imitative behavior" whereby sounds or actions are imitated "without explicit awareness". Echolalia may be an immediate reaction to a stimulus or may be delayed.

people with autism who are deemed to be cognitively "higher functioning" (with an IQ of 70 or greater) than other people with autism

thumb|alt=A person holds their hands together with a string-like toy between their fingers|An autistic adult stimming with a stim toy in their hands Self-stimulatory behavior (also called stimming, stims, self-stimulation, stereotypy, and stereotypic movement disorder) is the repetition of physical movements, sounds, words, moving objects, or other behaviors. Stimming is a type of restricted and repetitive behavior (RRB). They can be both conscious and subconscious. Such behaviors are found to some degree in all people, but are especially intense and frequent in those with developmental disabi

thumb|right|240px|William-Adolphe Bouguereau, The Difficult Lesson (1884)

failure in thought to bring together both positive qualities and negative aspects of people into a cohesive whole

thumb|alt=Monotropic and polytropic learning|Monotropic (hyperfocus) and polytropic learning

former developmental disorder, since DSM-V replaced by Autism Spectrum Condition, type 2-3, with, or without, intellectual development disorder

when two people focus on something at once

walking on the toes (and sometimes balls) of the feet with the heels in the air

neurodevelopmental differences involving heightened and/or muted responses to sensory input

hiding one's autistic traits, often at the expense of one's mental health

subtype of autism

differences in autism diagnosis frequencies with respect to gender

thumb|alt=The differences between polytropism and monotropism|The differences between polytropism and monotropism Monotropism is an individual's tendency to focus their attention on a small or singular number of interests at any time, with them neglecting or not perceiving lesser interests. This cognitive strategy has been posited as the central underlying feature of autism.

history of autism spectrum

autosomal dominant non-syndromic intellectual disability that has material basis in an autosomal dominant mutation of ADNP on chromosome 20q13.13

Hypercalculia is a specific developmental condition characterized by a mathematical calculation ability that is significantly superior to the individual's general learning ability and school attainment in mathematics. It is often associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and savant syndrome. Neuroimaging studies have suggested biological correlates for the condition; for instance, a 2002 neuroimaging study of a child with hypercalculia observed greater brain volume in the right temporal lobe. Serial SPECT scans have also indicated hyperperfusion over right parietal areas during the perfor

psychological ability

medical conditions more common in autistic people

The epidemiology of autism

Mind-blindness, mindblindness or mind blindness is a widely disputed theory initially proposed in 1990 that claims that all autistic people have a lack or developmental delay of theory of mind (ToM), meaning they are less able to attribute mental states to others. According to the theory, a lack of ToM is considered equivalent to a lack of both cognitive and affective empathy. In the context of the theory, mind-blindness implies being unable to predict behavior and attribute mental states including beliefs, desires, emotions, or intentions of other people. The mind-blindness theory asserts tha

subset of autism spectrum disorder where one does not speak

medical condition

controversies about both the cause of autism and the nature of the diagnoses themselves