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Clinical Features & Symptoms : The Autism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )

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Clinical Features & Symptoms: The autism spectrum disorder (ASD) describes a wide range of symptoms, including difficulty with social interaction and communication skills, as well as unusually repetitive behavior. According to the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), individuals with ASD have a tendency to respond inappropriately in conversation and lack the ability to build relationships (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). They often engage in a series of abnormal routines and develop inappropriate obsessions with particular items. Individuals with ASD also display a wide variety of cognitive functioning, ranging from severe intellectual disability to superior intelligence (Fakhoury, 2015). Individuals with ASD tend to have communication deficits, such as responding inappropriately in conversations, misreading nonverbal interactions and having difficulty building friendships appropriate to their age. In addition, people with ASD tend to be overly dependent on routines, highly sensitive to changes in their environment and intensely focused on inappropriate items (Fakhoury, 2015). The symptoms of ASD are classified into two broad categories: core symptoms and secondary symptoms (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The core symptoms consist of reduced language skills and social interaction, as well as the presence of repetitive and stereotypic behaviors. Secondary symptoms include complications such as self-injury,

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