Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCommon Traits in AutismRare Traits in AutismComplicationsWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Autism GuideUnraveling the Complex Causes of Autism, According to Experts
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Common Traits in Autism
Rare Traits in Autism
Complications
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
Next in Autism Guide
The traits associated withautismare usually seen before age 3. They include difficulties in communication, social interactions, and responsiveness, as well as possible obsessive or repetitive behaviors.
It’s said that “if you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.” That’s because the appearance of autism canvary from person to personin the types of traits and their intensity. One autistic person may be very verbal, bright, and engaged, while another is non-verbal, intellectually challenged, and almost entirely self-absorbed.
This article details common traits associated with autism, as well as traits that occur less often. It provides information about when to see a healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
Pollyana Ventura / Getty Images.
The National Institutes of Mental Health has created a list of traits that are often seen in autism. It’s important to bear in mind that none of these traits on their own is likely to indicate autism. Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder, which means that a child must have many of these traits in order to qualify for a diagnosis.
By the same token, however, many children reach early milestones on time (or even early) and still qualify for anautism spectrum disorder(ASD) diagnosis. While some children may seemneurotypicalin their development for a while but then develop autism traits, others may have obvious traits from infancy.
Earlytraits of autisminclude:
Autism traits are often present before the age of 3. Some children, however, have milder traits that may not be obvious at a very young age and such children may, as a result, be diagnosed after age 3.
When a later diagnosis occurs, it’s usually because they have several indicators, such as:
If traits such as these suddenly appear in a child older than 3, and those traits were definitely not present from an earlier age, the child would not qualify for an autism diagnosis. The child would, however, almost certainly receive a different developmental or psychiatric diagnosis.
Autistic people are more likely to experience:
Complications and Sub-Group Indications
Autism has many proposed sub-groups, which often align with the presence of other conditions.
Autism Traits in Boys vs. Girls
The vast majority of people diagnosed with autism are people assigned male at birth. This may be, in part, because autism tends tolook very different in femalesand, as a result, it may not be recognized as often.
In general, autistic males show overt traits such asstimming(pacing, flicking fingers, rocking). They may be quite loud, get upset easily, or become angry when required to take part in activities that are outside their comfort zone. These behaviors naturally draw the attention of parents, teachers, and doctors.
Autistic females, on the other hand, tend to be very quiet and withdrawn.They are often loners who choose not to participate in group activities. Because many accept the cultural notion that girls are often quiet and unengaged, these behaviors are much easier to mistake for shyness or normal social reticence.
Of course, there can be wide variations depending on the individual.
Association With Other Conditions
Most autism traits also occur with other developmental and mental health disorders. As a result, it is not unusual for autistic children to havemultiple diagnoses.
In addition, autistic people seem to be more prone to other problems not listed in the diagnostic criteria.These problems include sleep disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, self-abusive behavior, and more.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) includes specifiers for these co-existing conditions:
It can be very tough for a parent to determine whether behaviors are traits of autism or just ordinary variations in development. How much lining up of toys is excessive? How much desire for repetition is normal?
To properly diagnose autism, professionals use a set ofspecific teststhat actually measure a child’s presentation. They may also decide that your child should undergo testing for hearing impairment or speech issues that are unrelated to autism.
For that reason, if you’re concerned about your child, take your concerns to your pediatrician. If the pediatrician is not able to help, and you still have worries, it may be time to make an appointment with adevelopmental pediatricianor another diagnostician.
Autism traits usually develop before a child reaches 3 years of age. These traits include impaired communication, social skills, or responsiveness, as well asrepetitive behavior. However, sometimes autistic children withlow support needsaren’t diagnosed until later. Since autismpresents differently in females, they may also be diagnosed at a later age.
Autism withlow support needscombines normal or unusual intelligence with autism traits. A child may do exceptionally well academically, for example, but have trouble relating to peers in social settings. Other traits include a susceptibility to sensory overload; anxiety or depression; lack of organizational skills and problems with “executive function”; emotional dysregulation; and struggling with verbal communication.
Unraveling the Complex Causes of Autism, According to Experts
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Signs and Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders.Besag FM.Epilepsy in patients with autism: links, risks and treatment challenges.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat.2018;14:1-10. doi:10.2147/NDT.S120509Hughes JEA, Ward J, Gruffydd E, et al.Savant syndrome has a distinct psychological profile in autism.Mol Autism. 2018;9:53. doi:10.1186/s13229-018-0237-1Ward J, Hoadley C, Hughes JE, et al.Atypical sensory sensitivity as a shared feature between synaesthesia and autism.Sci Rep. 2017;7:41155. doi:10.1038/srep41155Giarelli E, Wiggins LD, Rice CE, et al.Sex differences in the evaluation and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders among children.Disabil Health J.2010;3(2):107-16. doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2009.07.001Mandy W, Chilvers R, Chowdhury U, Salter G, Seigal A, Skuse D.Sex differences in autism spectrum disorder: evidence from a large sample of children and adolescents.J Autism Dev Disord. 2012;42(7):1304-13. doi:10.1007/s10803-011-1356-0Doshi-Velez F, Ge Y, Kohane I.Comorbidity clusters in autism spectrum disorders: an electronic health record time-series analysis.Pediatrics. 2014;133(1):e54-e63. doi:10.1542/peds.2013-0819Lai MC, Lombardo MV, Chakrabarti B, Baron-Cohen S.Subgrouping the autism “spectrum”: reflections on DSM-5. PLoS Biol. 2013;11(4):e1001544. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001544. Epub 2013 Apr 23.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Autism Spectrum Disorder: Communication Problems in Children.Additional ReadingOusley O, Cermak T.Autism Spectrum Disorder: Defining Dimensions and Subgroups.Curr Dev Disord Rep. 2013;1(1):20–28. doi:10.1007/s40474-013-0003-1
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Signs and Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders.Besag FM.Epilepsy in patients with autism: links, risks and treatment challenges.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat.2018;14:1-10. doi:10.2147/NDT.S120509Hughes JEA, Ward J, Gruffydd E, et al.Savant syndrome has a distinct psychological profile in autism.Mol Autism. 2018;9:53. doi:10.1186/s13229-018-0237-1Ward J, Hoadley C, Hughes JE, et al.Atypical sensory sensitivity as a shared feature between synaesthesia and autism.Sci Rep. 2017;7:41155. doi:10.1038/srep41155Giarelli E, Wiggins LD, Rice CE, et al.Sex differences in the evaluation and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders among children.Disabil Health J.2010;3(2):107-16. doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2009.07.001Mandy W, Chilvers R, Chowdhury U, Salter G, Seigal A, Skuse D.Sex differences in autism spectrum disorder: evidence from a large sample of children and adolescents.J Autism Dev Disord. 2012;42(7):1304-13. doi:10.1007/s10803-011-1356-0Doshi-Velez F, Ge Y, Kohane I.Comorbidity clusters in autism spectrum disorders: an electronic health record time-series analysis.Pediatrics. 2014;133(1):e54-e63. doi:10.1542/peds.2013-0819Lai MC, Lombardo MV, Chakrabarti B, Baron-Cohen S.Subgrouping the autism “spectrum”: reflections on DSM-5. PLoS Biol. 2013;11(4):e1001544. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001544. Epub 2013 Apr 23.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Autism Spectrum Disorder: Communication Problems in Children.Additional ReadingOusley O, Cermak T.Autism Spectrum Disorder: Defining Dimensions and Subgroups.Curr Dev Disord Rep. 2013;1(1):20–28. doi:10.1007/s40474-013-0003-1
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Signs and Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders.Besag FM.Epilepsy in patients with autism: links, risks and treatment challenges.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat.2018;14:1-10. doi:10.2147/NDT.S120509Hughes JEA, Ward J, Gruffydd E, et al.Savant syndrome has a distinct psychological profile in autism.Mol Autism. 2018;9:53. doi:10.1186/s13229-018-0237-1Ward J, Hoadley C, Hughes JE, et al.Atypical sensory sensitivity as a shared feature between synaesthesia and autism.Sci Rep. 2017;7:41155. doi:10.1038/srep41155Giarelli E, Wiggins LD, Rice CE, et al.Sex differences in the evaluation and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders among children.Disabil Health J.2010;3(2):107-16. doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2009.07.001Mandy W, Chilvers R, Chowdhury U, Salter G, Seigal A, Skuse D.Sex differences in autism spectrum disorder: evidence from a large sample of children and adolescents.J Autism Dev Disord. 2012;42(7):1304-13. doi:10.1007/s10803-011-1356-0Doshi-Velez F, Ge Y, Kohane I.Comorbidity clusters in autism spectrum disorders: an electronic health record time-series analysis.Pediatrics. 2014;133(1):e54-e63. doi:10.1542/peds.2013-0819Lai MC, Lombardo MV, Chakrabarti B, Baron-Cohen S.Subgrouping the autism “spectrum”: reflections on DSM-5. PLoS Biol. 2013;11(4):e1001544. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001544. Epub 2013 Apr 23.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Autism Spectrum Disorder: Communication Problems in Children.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Signs and Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Besag FM.Epilepsy in patients with autism: links, risks and treatment challenges.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat.2018;14:1-10. doi:10.2147/NDT.S120509
Hughes JEA, Ward J, Gruffydd E, et al.Savant syndrome has a distinct psychological profile in autism.Mol Autism. 2018;9:53. doi:10.1186/s13229-018-0237-1
Ward J, Hoadley C, Hughes JE, et al.Atypical sensory sensitivity as a shared feature between synaesthesia and autism.Sci Rep. 2017;7:41155. doi:10.1038/srep41155
Giarelli E, Wiggins LD, Rice CE, et al.Sex differences in the evaluation and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders among children.Disabil Health J.2010;3(2):107-16. doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2009.07.001
Mandy W, Chilvers R, Chowdhury U, Salter G, Seigal A, Skuse D.Sex differences in autism spectrum disorder: evidence from a large sample of children and adolescents.J Autism Dev Disord. 2012;42(7):1304-13. doi:10.1007/s10803-011-1356-0
Doshi-Velez F, Ge Y, Kohane I.Comorbidity clusters in autism spectrum disorders: an electronic health record time-series analysis.Pediatrics. 2014;133(1):e54-e63. doi:10.1542/peds.2013-0819
Lai MC, Lombardo MV, Chakrabarti B, Baron-Cohen S.Subgrouping the autism “spectrum”: reflections on DSM-5. PLoS Biol. 2013;11(4):e1001544. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001544. Epub 2013 Apr 23.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Autism Spectrum Disorder: Communication Problems in Children.
Ousley O, Cermak T.Autism Spectrum Disorder: Defining Dimensions and Subgroups.Curr Dev Disord Rep. 2013;1(1):20–28. doi:10.1007/s40474-013-0003-1
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