Autism, formally called autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction, and repetitive or restricted patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities, which can include hyper- and hyporeactivity to sensory input. Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning that it can manifest very differently in each person. For example, some are nonspeaking, while others have proficient spoken language. Because of this, there is wide variation in the support needs of people across the autism spectrum.
There are many theories about what causes autism; it is highly heritable and mainly genetic, but many genes are involved, and environmental factors may also be relevant. The syndrome frequently co-occurs with other conditions, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, epilepsy, and intellectual disability. Disagreements persist about what should be included as part of the diagnosis, whether there are meaningful subtypes of autism, and the significance of autism-associated traits in the wider population. The combination of broader criteria, increased awareness, and potentially increasing actual prevalence, has led to a trend of steadily increasing estimates of autism prevalence, perpetuating the myth that it is caused by vaccines.Psychiatry has traditionally classified autism as a mental disorder, and the autism rights movement and a small but increasing number of researchers see autism as part of neurodiversity, the natural diversity in human thinking and experience, with strengths, differences, and weaknesses. From this point of view, autistic people often still have a disability, but need to be accommodated rather than cured. This perspective has led to significant controversy among those who are autistic and advocates, practitioners, and charities. Some therapies for autism, such as applied behavior analysis, are controversial in the autism rights movement, with many considering them unhelpful and unethical.There is no known way to prevent or cure autism. Many forms of therapy, such as speech and occupational therapy, have been developed that may help autistic people. Some forms of therapy, such as applied behavior analysis, have been shown to improve certain symptoms of autism, such as socialization, communication, expressive language, intellectual functioning, language development, and acquisition of daily living skills. Intervention can require accommodations such as alternative modes of communication. The use of pharmaceutical medicine is usually focused on associated conditions such as epilepsy or certain symptoms. Research indicates that autistic people are substantially more likely to be LGBT than the general population. They are also more significantly more likely to be non-theistic.
