Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Mar 1;1(1):20-28.
doi: 10.1007/s40474-013-0003-1.

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Defining Dimensions and Subgroups

Opal Ousley  1 , Tracy Cermak  2
Affiliations

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Defining Dimensions and Subgroups

Opal Ousley et al. Curr Dev Disord Rep. .

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder associated with the presence of social-communication deficits and restricted and repetitive behaviors. In the latest conceptualization of ASD, these two behavioral dimensions represent the core defining features of ASD, whereas associated dimensions, such as intellectual and language ability, provide a means for describing the ASD heterogeneity. In addition, the characterization of ASD subgroups, defined by the presence of known medical, genetic, or other psychiatric disorders, furthers our understanding of ASD heterogeneity. This paper reviews the history of autism, describes its core defining features, and provides an overview of the clinically and etiologically relevant subgroups that add to the complexity of this condition.

Keywords: ADHD; Anxiety; Asperger; Autism; Autism spectrum disorder; Catatonia; DSM-5; Depression; Dimension; Disruptive behavior; ICD-11; Kanner; Pervasive developmental disorder; Specifier; Subtype.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Compliance with Ethics Guidelines

Conflict of Interest Opal Ousley and Tracy Cermak declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
DSM-5 ASD diagnostic criteria and specifiers
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Kanner L. Autistic disturbances of affective contact. Nervous Child. 1943;2(3):217–250. - PubMed
    1. Asperger H. Die ‘Autistischen Psychopathen’ im Kindesalter, Archiv fur Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten. Archiv fur Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten. 1944;117:76–136.
    1. Murdoch JD, State MW. Recent developments in the genetics of autism spectrum disorders. Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2013;23(3):310–315. - PubMed
    1. APA. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed. Arlington: Author; 2013.
    1. Hippler K, Klicpera C. A retrospective analysis of the clinical case records of 'autistic psychopaths' diagnosed by Hans Asperger and his team at the University Children's Hospital, Vienna. Philos Trans R Soc Lond Ser B Biol Sci. 2003;358(1430):291–301. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources