ASC is a ‘spectrum condition’ meaning that, while all people with autism share certain difficulties, their condition affects them in different ways. Most professionals believe that race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background do not affect the occurrence of autism. Deficits in ASD are often linked to behavior problems, such as difficulties following directions, being cooperative, and doing things on other people’s terms. Symptoms similar to those of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can be part of an ASD diagnosis. Research indicates that autistic people are significantly more likely to be LGBT than the general population. There is tentative evidence that gender dysphoria occurs more frequently in autistic people. A 2021 anonymized online survey of 16- to 90-year-olds revealed that autistic males are more likely to identify as bisexual than their non-autistic peers, while autistic females are more likely to identify as homosexual than non-autistic females do.

H.B. City Council majority abstains on vote to explore city becoming a Certified Autism Destination

Examples of stimming include flapping hands, tapping feet, playing with hair, rocking, humming, and flicking fingers. Stimming can help autistic people feel calm and focus.Stimming can help autistic people self-regulate, making it easier to manage stress and difficult environments. Autistic people who can “be themselves” tend to have better mental health than those who try to blend in with non-autistic people. ASAN, the Autism Women and Nonbinary Network, and others have writers who know a lot about autism. If you feel like you’re unable to handle hearing about those kinds of subjects, avoid them.

Can an Autistic Person Have a “Normal” Life?

Certain genetic and environmental factors can contribute to its development. In a 2021 study, researchers looked at autistic people’s experiences with gender dysphoria. They found study participants were highly attuned to feelings of distress caused by physically not matching their gender identities, and that autism helped them truly understand their gender identity. Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition. Like many neurodiversity conditions, autism exists on a spectrum based on how much it impacts daily function.

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The largest of these is the National Alliance for Autism Research Autism Genome Project. This collaborative effort, conducted at approximately 50 research institutions in 19 countries, is poring through the 30,000 genes that make up the human genome in a search for the genes that trigger autism. In addition, scientists have noted imbalances in neurotransmitters — chemicals that help nerve cells communicate with one another.

Teachers, parents and counselors work together to help the child improve his or her communication, physical and social skills. Although it may seem as though autism emerged only recently, scientists believe that children exhibited its behaviors as early as the 18th century. Autism wasn’t formally recognized as a unique condition until 1943, when Dr. Leo Kanner of the Johns Hopkins Hospital studied 11 children with severe language and social problems, and published the first real description of autism. At around the same time, Dr. Hans Asperger of Germany described the syndrome that now bears his name based on his research with 400 children. The first step to diagnosing autism begins with a developmental test administered by the child’s pediatrician.