Q: What are the symptoms of autism?

A: The symptoms of autism vary in both occurrence and severity, which makes diagnosis difficult. According to the DSM-IV, the general symptoms for autistic disorder (hereafter referred to as autism) include the following:

• A total of six (or more) items from a list of qualitative impairments in the following categories: 1) Social interactions (at least two from this group), 2) Communication (at least one from this groups), and 3) Restrictive repetitive and stereotypic patterns of behavior, interests, and activities (at least one from this group).

• Delays or abnormal functioning in (1) social interaction, (2) language used as social communication, or (3) symbolic or imaginative play, with onset before age three.

• Symptoms that cannot be described as Rett syndrome or Childhood Disintegrative Disorder.

Please refer to the DSM-IV for a complete listing and explanation of these criteria.

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