Home › About Autism and ASD

Core Characteristics

The three core characteristics associated with Autism in the DSM-IV-TR are:

  1. a qualitative impairment in social interactions
  2. a qualitative impairment in communication
  3. a restricted or stereotyped pattern of activities, interests and behaviors

In addition to the three core characteristics, the diagnostic criteria listed in the DSM-IV-TR specify that delays or abnormal functioning be observed prior to the age of 3 years, in at least one of the following areas: (1) social interaction, (2) language as used in social communication, or (3) symbolic or imaginative play.