Autism is considered a "spectrum" disorder because it represents a broad range of individuals who are uniquely affected in varying degrees.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) occurs in approximately 1 in every 150 births in the United States.
Autism is four times more common in boys than it is in girls.
ASD occurs across all ethnic, geographic, and socio-economic boundaries.
There are no medical tests for diagnosing ASD so it is considered a "behaviorally defined" diagnosis.
There is no precise way of determining how much autism someone has.
Autism affects multiple areas of development including communication, social interaction, behavior, and sensory functioning.
Autism is a biologically based disorder with evidence of neurological differences.
The causes of ASD remain in question at this time.
Early diagnosis and intensive intervention using applied behavior analysis (ABA) have been demonstrated to produce the best outcomes for individuals with ASD.