• Autism spectrum or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is a concept of a smooth transition between the different forms, one in particular in the growing English-speaking point of view of such a continuum of different forms. Represented approximately by Tony Attwood, who justified his view with the possibility of transitions in individual cases. For example there are autistic people that meet the diagnostic criteria of Asperger’s syndrome, the abnormalities in early childhood, however, corresponded to the diagnosis of Kanner’s syndrome. Moreover, it is doubtful whether one based on theoretical models of intelligence IQ measurement or an arbitrary maximum age limit for the language used for the distinction.

Published a study by a significant proportion of ICD-10 were diagnosed with infantile autism or atypical autism diagnosed according to people with Asperger Gillberg diagnostic criteria.

• A clinical autism spectrum diagnosis by doctors or psychologists usually placed under the condition that a person suffers in several areas of life. A person may well be autistic, but because of their situation in life, talent and / or support of education, training, employers, friends, partners or other forms of support to cope well enough to get no clinical diagnosis. In this case, such a person may receive a diagnosis, if, after a possible loss of aid leads to an anomaly, so that doctors and therapists can justify a clinical diagnosis.
• The question of whether it is in autism or autism spectrum disorders a category or a dimension is unclear. There is literature on subclinical forms of autism, a chapter about “Autistic Echos” in the book “The shadow syndrome: Neurobiology and mild forms of mental disorders”. In research, the concept of a ‘Broad Autism Phenotypes examines’, such as autistic traits from parents of autistic children.
• Some other official (ICD-10/DSM-IV) and unofficial (not in ICD-10/DSM-IV) diagnoses are examined in relation to autism, such as Hyperlexia, nonverbal learning disability, dyspraxia, sensory integration disorder or linguistic-pragmatic disorder . The issue of these as a separate diagnosis, or rather as part of a broader autism spectrum may be seen is unclear.

The interests of autistic people are usually limited to certain areas, but have some of them drawing on the area of their special interest extraordinary abilities, such as in mental arithmetic, in music or in the memory. This is called an “island of genius”; those who have are called savants. 50 percent of known Inselbegabten are autistic. You can not possibly wear alone, but may complete telephone books and encyclopedias to learn by heart, like Kim Peek, since the film “Rain Man” the best known of the Savants (but not autistic).

Allen autistic disabilities are impairments in social behavior in common: difficulty in speaking with others (for example due to monotonous prosody), been said to be interpreted correctly, use facial expressions and body language and understand.

Core symptoms associated with autistic disabilities is primarily the difficulty of communicating with other people (first and second diagnostic criterion). Alternatively, stereotyped or ritualization practices (third diagnostic criterion) explores all the core symptoms of autistic disabilities. Autistic people show fundamental differences from non-autistic people in the processing of sensory impressions and the way the discernment and intelligence. The differences in perception is explored as a core symptoms of autism.

In the current diagnostic criteria, it is a distinction between infantile autism (Kanner syndrome) and Asperger’s syndrome, which often becomes apparent only after the third year of life. Many doctors believe, however, has become an autism spectrum (autism spectrum disorder), the different severity knows.