Term: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Glossary Definition

Last Updated: 2008-11-18

Definition:

A pervasive developmental disorder that typically affects a person's social interactions and ability to communicate, and may be evident by repetitive behaviours or a strong attachment to a routine. The severity ranges from mild to severe and it includes diagnoses of Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, and Asperger's Disorder ( Autism Society Canada, 2005 ). See What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? for more information.

For a description of the ASD diagnostic methodology for the Child Health Atlas Update by Brownell et al. (2008), please see the Austism Spectrum Disorder - Measuring Treatment Prevalence concept.

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