• It is one of the neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by repetitive and characteristic patterns of behavior and difficulties with social communication and interaction.
• The symptoms are present from early childhood and affect daily routine functioning.
• The severity of symptoms, disability in daily functioning, and cognition can vary from one child to another child. It can be mild, moderate, or severe dysfunction.
• ASD occurs in all racial and ethnic groups, and across all socioeconomic levels. But in developing countries like India, it is less and late-diagnosed due to a deficit in public awareness and social taboos.
• It is more common in boys compared to girls.

• Delay in speech, even sometimes does not speak
• Non-meaningful speech
• Repetition of spoken words or sentences
• Not making proper eye contact
• Non-verbal communication (like with body gestures) is also poor
• Not following commands
• Poor social communication, do not mingles with same age group children
• Prefers solitary play
• Enjoys mirror play
• A repetitive motor movement like a hand or arm flapping, rocking the body from side to side, opening and closing door, screw-unscrew bottle cap
• Special interest in particular games
• Does not understand emotions

• In most of the cases, etiology or cause is not found
• But there are some disorders like fragile-x, tuberous sclerosis, other chromosomal disorder, and metabolic condition, autism is very common.

Early indicators include,

• no babbling or pointing by age 1
• no single words by age 16 months or two-word phrases by age 2
• no response to name
• loss of language or social skills previously acquired
• poor eye contact
• excessive lining up of toys or objects
• no smiling or social responsiveness

Later indicators include:

• impaired ability to make friends with peers
• impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
• absence or impairment of imaginative and social play
• repetitive or unusual use of language
• abnormally intense or focused interest
• preoccupation with certain objects or subjects
• inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals