ABSTRACT
Like all neurodevelopmental disorders, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) begins early in life and is characterized by deficits that impair the individual’s functioning across domains. Although ASD is usually identified and diagnosed during childhood, the initial diagnosis is sometimes made in adulthood. As new genetic, neuroscience, and epigenetic and environmental methods emerged, additional information concerning the etiology of ASD has continued to accumulate. Much of the previous research on the etiology of ASD has focused upon neurological methodologies, such as functional and connectivity magnetic resonance imaging. There is some evidence for effects of gender and cultural factors on identification of ASD. Much of the treatment literature for ASD has focused on non-core symptoms, such as problems with anxiety and aggression. Interventions that teach mindfulness, or being attentive to the present moment in an accepting and nonjudgmental way, are fairly new in ASD treatment research.
