Autism is a neurological and developmental disability that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. Although autism can be diagnosed at any age, it is described as a “developmental disability” because characteristics generally appear in the first two years of life. Autism can be diagnosed even before age 2 years in some children, although children and adults with mild characteristics may get diagnosed later, when social developmental expectations exceed their capacities.
Autism is a broad diagnosis that affects individuals in a variety of different ways. Some children and adults have high support needs throughout their lives, while others have few needs. Between 30 and 40% of individuals with autism have intellectual disability as well, meaning they learn at a slower rate than others their age. About 25% can be described as having profound autism, meaning they require 24-hour supervision from an adult due to significant communication and intellectual needs. However, some autistic individuals have significant strengths in language and intellectual abilities and live and work independently as adults. Common characteristics of autism include:
- Difficulties having back-and-forth interactions with others, such as sharing interests or emotions
- Difficulties or differences in using eye contact, gestures, and facial expressions to communicate
- Difficulties developing, maintaining, or understanding social relationships
- Having repetitive interests and/or behavior, including strong interests in specific or unusual areas, engaging in repetitive movements or speech, playing with toys in repetitive ways, having very rigid behaviors or difficulties with minor changes, and sensory differences
Overall, 1 in 28 (3.6%) 8-year-old children in Minnesota are identified with autism, as reported in 2022 data collected by the Minnesota Autism Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (MN-ADDM). Nationally, across 16 communities in the U.S., the CDC found that 1 in 31 (3.2%) children were identified as having autism.
