Autism

Autism or autism spectrum disorder, is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by repetitive, restricted, and inflexible patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as well as persistent difficulties in social communication... Wikipedia

Symptoms: Difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, inflexible routines, narrow, restricted interests, repetitive body movements, unusual sensory responses
Complications: Social isolation, educational and employment problems, anxiety, stress, bullying, depression, self-harm, suicidality
Usual onset: Early childhood
Duration: Lifelong
Causes: Multifactorial, with many uncertain factors
Risk factors: Family history, certain genetic conditions, having older parents, certain prescribed drugs, perinatal and neonatal health issues
Diagnostic method: Based on combination of clinical observation of behavior and development and comprehensive diagnostic testing completed by a team of qualified professionals (including psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, pediatricians, and speech-language pathologists). For adults, the use of a patient's written and oral history of autistic traits becomes more important
Differential diagnosis: Intellectual disability, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, Rett syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizoid personality disorder, selective mutism, schizophrenia, obsessive–compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, Einstein syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, learning disorders (mainly speech disorders)
Management: Positive behavior support, applied behavior analysis, cognitive behavioral therapy, occupational therapy, psychotropic medication, speech–language pathology
Data source: DuckDuckGo