Currently, the autism spectrum disorder category includes:

• Autistic disorder (also called “classic” autism)
• Asperger syndrome
• Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (or atypical autism)

In some cases, health care providers use a broader term, pervasive developmental disorder, to describe autism.  This category includes the autism spectrum disorders above, plus Childhood Disintegrative Disorder and Rett syndrome.

This Web site uses “autism spectrum disorder” and “autism” to mean the same thing. 

• Communication - both verbal (spoken) and non-verbal (unspoken, such as pointing, eye contact, and smiling)
• Social - such as sharing emotions, understanding how others think and feel, and holding a conversation
• Routines or repetitive behaviors (also called stereotyped behaviors) - such as repeating words or actions, obsessively following routines or schedules, and playing in repetitive ways

There are many possible red flags for autism - behaviors that may be signs or symptoms of autism.  Some features may mean a delay in one or more areas of development, while others may be more typical of autism spectrum disorders.  If you think your child shows red flags for autism, talk to your health care provider.

There is no cure for autism, nor is there one single treatment for autism spectrum disorders.  But there are ways to help minimize the symptoms of autism and to maximize learning.

• Behavioral therapy and other therapeutic options
  
  • Behavior management therapy helps to reinforce wanted behaviors, and reduce unwanted behaviors.  It is often based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
  • Speech-language therapists can help people with autism improve their ability to communicate and interact with others.
  • Occupational therapists can help people find ways to adjust tasks to match their needs and abilities.
  • Physical therapists design activities and exercise to build motor control and improve posture and balance. 
    
• Educational and/or school-based options
  
  • Public schools are required to provide free, appropriate public education from age 3 through high school or age 21, whichever comes first.
  • Typically, a team of people, including the parents, teachers, caregivers, school psychologists, and other child development specialists work together to design an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to help guide the child’s school experiences.
    
• Medication options
  
  • Currently there are no medications that can cure autism spectrum disorders or all of the symptoms.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any medications specifically for the treatment of autism, but in many cases medication can treat some of the symptoms associated with autism.
  • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclics, psychoactive/anti-psychotics, stimulants, and anti-anxiety drugs are among the medications that a health care provider might use to treat symptoms of autism spectrum disorders.
  • Secretin—a hormone that helps digestion—is not recommended as a treatment for autism.

Although there have been reports of studies that relate vaccines to autism, these findings have not held up under further investigation. 

Currently the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides the most accurate and up-to-date information about research on autism and vaccines. Its Vaccines and Autism Theory web site provides information from the federal government and from independent organizations about vaccines and autism. 

• Boys
• Siblings of those with autism
• People with certain other developmental disorders, such as Fragile X syndrome