# Outline of autism

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to autism:
Autism spectrum disorder – a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects social interaction and communication, and involves restricted and repetitive behavior.

## What type of thing is autism?

Autism can be described as all of the following:
* Disability – may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.
** Developmental disability – a term used in the United States and Canada to describe lifelong disabilities attributable to mental or physical impairments, manifested prior to age 18.
* Disorder –
** Developmental disorder – occur at some stage in a child's development, often slowing the development.
** Neurodevelopmental disorder – or disorder of neural development, is an impairment of the growth and development of the brain or central nervous system.
** Spectrum disorder

## Autistic traits

Signs of autism are highly variable, and different individuals will have a different mix of traits. Some more common traits include:
* Avoidance of eye contact – preference to avoid eye contact and feelings of fear or being overwhelmed when looking into someone's eyes
* Developmental delay – slower acquisition of life skills
* Emotional dysregulation – mood swings, including outbursts when overwhelmed
* Executive dysfunction – difficulty staying organized, initiating tasks, and/or controlling impulses
* Routines – need for routine and fear of unexpected change
* Sensory processing disorder – over- or under-responsiveness to sensory input
* Sincerity – tendency to tell the truth
* Special interests – narrow and passionate areas of interest
* Stimming – repetitive movements or sounds that stimulate the senses and regulate emotion and sensory processing

## Research areas
### Assessment tools

* Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – an instrument for diagnosing and assessing Autism.
* Autism-spectrum quotient – AQ, is a questionnaire published in 2001 by Simon Baron-Cohen and his colleagues at the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge, UK.

### Research areas and subjects

* Double empathy problem – a theory suggesting that the communication difficulties present in autistic individuals are due to a reciprocal lack of understanding and bidirectional differences in communication style among other factors rather than an inherent deficiency.
* Epidemiology of autism – the study of factors affecting autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).
* Epigenetics of autism – the study of epigenetic effects in ASDs.
* Mirror neuron – a neuron that fires both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another.
* Spindle neuron – also called von Economo neurons (VENs), are a specific class of neurons that are characterized by a large spindle-shaped soma, gradually tapering into a single apical axon in one direction, with only a single dendrite facing opposite.
* Weak central coherence theory (WCC) – also called the central coherence theory (CC), suggests that a specific perceptual-cognitive style, loosely described as a limited ability to understand context or to "see the big picture", underlies the central disturbance in autism and related ASDs.

## Controversies

* Applied behavior analysis – a therapy that some have argued may be potentially abusive or too controlling, especially if the therapist is poorly trained.
* Autism's False Prophets – written by vaccine expert Paul Offit.
* Autism Speaks – the world's largest autism advocacy organization that sponsors autism research and conducts awareness and outreach activities aimed at families, governments, and the public; some have argued that it is exploitative and unkind.
* Gluten-free, casein-free diet – diet that eliminates dietary intake of gluten and casein.
* MMR vaccine and autism – was a case of scientific misconduct which triggered a health scare.
* Mother Warriors – written by New York Times bestselling author Jenny McCarthy.
* Refrigerator mother – an accusing label for mothers of children diagnosed with autism or schizophrenia, now widely understood to be a myth.
* Thiomersal and vaccines – describing discredited claims that vaccines containing the mercury-based preservative thiomersal contribute to the development of autism and other brain development disorders.
* Barber National Institute – a pro-ABA non-profit organization that is prominent in the state of Pennsylvania.

### Pseudoscience and disproven treatments

* Autistic enterocolitis – other studies have explicitly refuted its existence.
* Craniosacral therapy – (also called CST, also spelled Cranial Sacral bodywork or therapy) is an alternative medicine therapy used by physiotherapists, osteopaths, massage therapists, naturopaths, and chiropractors.
* Chelation therapy – the administration of chelating agents to remove heavy metals from the body. Not effective in autism.
* Facilitated communication – a debunked technique which purports to allow non-verbal autistics to communicate.
* Hyperbaric oxygen therapy – the medical use of oxygen at a level higher than atmospheric pressure.
* Secretin – a hormone that controls the secretions into the duodenum, and also separately, water homeostasis throughout the body. Ineffective in autism.
* Vaccine controversy – a dispute over the morality, ethics, effectiveness, or safety of vaccinations.

## Notable people with autism

* Susan Boyle (b. 1961) was first seen on Britain's Got Talent when she sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables. She has since become a successful singer and has mentioned how alive it makes her feel. She has also stated that her autism diagnosis came as a "relief" to her.
* Michelle Dawson (b. 1961) is a Canadian autism researcher.
* Temple Grandin (b. 1947) is an American doctor of animal science and professor at Colorado State University, bestselling author, and consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior.
* Anthony Hopkins (b. 1937) is a Welsh actor who is the first openly autistic actor to win an Academy Award.
* Chris Packham (b. 1961) is an English naturalist, author, nature photographer and television presenter.
* Jim Sinclair (activist) is an autism rights activist who wrote the landmark essay "Don't Mourn For Us".
* Greta Thunberg (b. 2003) is a Swedish leading climate change activist.
* Donna Williams (1963–2017) was a best-selling Australian author, artist, singer-songwriter, screenwriter and sculptor diagnosed with autism after being assessed as a psychotic infant in 1965 at age two, tested multiple times for deafness and labeled disturbed throughout childhood, before treatment for gut, immune and sensory perceptual disorders in adulthood.