Abstract

What terms should we use when talking about autism? Autism is a group of neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by persistent challenges in social communication and interaction, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, and sensory sensitivities across multiple contexts.1 Currently, the reported prevalence of autism is 1.5% to 2% of the population, with a male to female ratio of 4 to 5 to 1, depending on the stringency of diagnostic criteria.1 Since the 1940s, when the condition was first named, the terms used to describe autism have focused on a deficits-based discussion based on clinical findings and phenomenology, instead of an inclusive framing of the experience of autism.