Autism, formally known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how a person perceives the world, communicates, and relates to others. ​ It is not a disease to be "cured," but rather a difference in neurological development that accompanies the person throughout their entire life. ​ It is called a "spectrum" because every person with autism is different. Skills, strengths, and challenges can vary significantly from one individual to another. ​

Key Characteristics of ASD

​ To understand autism in detail, we can divide it into three fundamental areas:

1. Communication and Social Interaction

• Difficulty with reciprocity: It can be challenging to initiate or maintain a fluid conversation.

• Non-functional language: Challenges in understanding gestures, eye contact, or other people's facial expressions.

• Social relationships: Difficulty adapting to different social contexts or making friends in traditional ways.

2. Behavioral and Thinking Patterns

• Deep interests: An intense focus on specific topics (such as trains, dinosaurs, or technology).

• Routines and structure: A marked need for things to follow a specific order; unexpected changes can cause a lot of anxiety.

• Repetitive movements: Actions known as "stimming" (for example, hand-flapping or rocking) that help the person self-regulate.

3. Sensory Processing

• Many autistic people are hypersensitive (over-responsive) or hyposensitive (under-responsive) to stimuli such as bright lights, loud noises, clothing textures, or certain smells.