Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a set of neuro-developmental disorders that affect how children process information and see the world. ASD can impact children’s social relationships, communication skills and behaviors in different ways and to different degrees. Children with ASD may have restricted interests or repetitive patterns of behavior. ASD usually appears during the first three years of a child’s life. Most parents first notice the loss of skills or developmental delays when their child is 15 to 18 months old. Symptoms can range from very mild to severe. Each child might display a unique combination of characteristics ranging from low to high functioning forms of ASD, requiring individually determined educational and treatment programs.
Minnesota Department of Education – Autism Spectrum Disorder
Department of Human Services – Autism Spectrum Disorder
Medical Diagnosis vs Special Education Eligibility
Overlapping Characteristics & Related Mental Health Diagnosis in Children