ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a general overview of autism. It provides the understanding of the diagnosis to those who are inexperienced or unfamiliar with the needs and general characteristics of individuals with autism. Autism is a complex developmental disorder that presents as a spectrum. Autism is not an intellectual disability. This is an important distinction, because there are some people who think autism is related to intelligence. People with autism may have co-occurring diagnoses where they experience autism and a mental illness or physical disability. Autism can be diagnosed at any time in life, but it is most frequent to see the diagnosis during early childhood. A diagnosis often results from a family's interaction with a team of practitioners, which may be in consultation with a psychologist, the child's pediatrician, with a specific service provider, such as a speech and language pathologist, or through an early intervention or school-based team.
