Autism (Autism) is called autistic disorder in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. It is classified as a pervasive developmental disorder in China’s classification of mental disorders. It begins before the age of three and is characterized by three severe and persistent groups of symptoms: impaired social interaction, impaired verbal communication, and restricted, repetitive, stereotyped behavior patterns and interests. Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) mainly include typical autism, Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder. The current prevalence rate is 1/110~150, with a male to female ratio of 4-5:1. I. New International Diagnostic Criteria A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction in various contexts, not due to general developmental disorders, and manifested in the following three domains: 1. Deficits in social-emotional interactions; ranging from abnormal social manner and inability to converse normally, to a lack of understanding of interest, reduced sharing, influence and response to emotions, to a complete inability to initiate social interactions. 2. Deficits in nonverbal communication behaviors used for social interactions; range from poor application of a combination of spoken and nonverbal communication; abnormal gaze to gaze and body language; or deficits in understanding and using nonverbal communication, to a complete lack of facial expressions or body language. 3. deficits in developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships that are not developmentally appropriate (except with caregivers); range from difficulty adapting behavior to different social situations, difficulty sharing imaginative play, difficulty making friends, to a marked lack of interest in people. B. Narrow, repetitive patterns of behavioral interest or activity, as evidenced by at least two of the following: 1. Stereotyped or repetitive speech, movement, or use of objects; (e.g., simple motor stereotypes, self-talk, repetitive use of objects, or particular phrasing) 2. Excessive adherence to routines, ritualized speech or nonverbal patterns, or excessive refusal to change; (e.g., ritualization of muscle movements, adherence to (e.g., ritualization of muscle movements, insistence on the same route or food, repetitive questioning, or extreme pressure for change in smiling) 3. highly narrow, abnormally attached interests, abnormal in intensity or attention; (e.g., intense dependence on or full attention to abnormal objects, excessive restriction to certain areas of interest, or excessive rejection of interest) 4. over- or under-responsiveness to sensory input, abnormal in sensory aspects of the environment Abnormal interest; (e.g., apparent indifference to pain, hot or cold; negative response to particular sounds or textures; negative response to excessive smells or touch of objects; intoxication with light or rotating objects) C. Symptoms must appear early in the child’s life (and may not be fully manifested unless social demands exceed limited capacity). D. The combination of symptoms limits and impairs daily routines. The biological causes of autism may be the influence of genetic factors, immunological factors, biochemical factors, maternal factors, etc. 1. Genetic factors: Genetic factors play an important role and are recognized as a result of the combined effect of polygenic inheritance and environmental factors. Studies have found that the prevalence of autism in siblings is 2-8%, which is 50-200 times higher than the prevalence in the general population. Studies on twins have shown that the concordance rate of identical twins is 60%. Viral and immune factors: Some scholars believe that the perinatal viral infections in children with autism cause individual immune deficiency or autoimmune deficiency, which impairs the development of the central nervous system. Neurobiochemical factors: It may be related to the malfunction of neurotransmitter metabolism in the nervous system. Current research shows that neurotransmitters that are closely related to autism include 5-hydroxytryptamine, dopamine and glutamate. 4. Perinatal factors: Studies have found that maternal risk factors such as mental depression, smoking history, viral infection, high fever, medication history, cesarean section, premature birth, low birth weight, birth injury, respiratory distress syndrome and congenital malformation are related to autism. 5. Psychosocial factors: The current study believes that they are not the direct cause of the disease, but early social isolation, poor family environment and improper parenting can affect the acquisition and development of speech and social skills in autism. III. Auxiliary diagnostic tools Autism spectrum disorders are a group of clinical syndromes for diagnosis. At present, the diagnostic criteria related to autism include the CCMD-3 criteria in China, the DSM-V criteria in the United States and the ICD-10 criteria developed by the World Health Organization. Some psychological testing tools can be used to assist in the diagnosis of autism, such as CHAT, ABC, CARs, ADI-R, etc. Brain imaging and electrophysiological examinations, such as EEG, MRI, ECT, etc., can assist in understanding the structural and functional status of the brain. Prognosis and influencing factors Autism spectrum disorders seriously endanger children’s physical and mental health, and if they cannot be rehabilitated, they may cause lifelong disability and affect patients’ lifelong physical and mental health, social interaction, learning, life and employment. Factors affecting the prognosis: the level of intellectual development, social adaptation, language ability, severity of symptoms, the presence of comorbidities, early diagnosis and intervention, family support and social acceptance, etc. The earlier the detection, diagnosis and intervention, the better the outcome. Especially for those with severe autism, timely intervention at the age of 2 will have good results, while for those with severe autism, diagnosis and intervention after the age of 3 will have poorer results. For less severe autism, there is still a chance after the age of 6, but basically there will be no effect after the age of 12. V. Treatment Mainly includes special education training, sensory integration and auditory integration training, physical therapy, behavior modification and medication, etc. Treatment principles: early detection, early diagnosis, early treatment, individualized, structured, systematic, comprehensive, and long-term treatment. The goal of treatment for autism is gradual integration into mainstream society. The treatment process is long, slow and gradual, and some problems require lifelong education. However, with continuous efforts, there is more hope!