Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopment disorder, characterized by a range of social
communication and interaction impairments, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped
patterns of behavior.
It is a “spectrum” disorder because every individual with ASD has symptoms that differ
in intensity, ranging from mild to quite severe. Symptoms of ASD are usually noticed in
early childhood, but for some may not become obvious until the child is a bit older. All
children with ASD, however, have some degree of difficulty in the following two areas: Social Communication Skills and Behaviors or Interests.