Social communication and interaction
Persistent differences or difficulties in social-emotional reciprocity, understanding or using non-verbal communication and adapting relationships to context.
Neurodevelopment · adults and children
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition that can affect communication, social interaction, flexibility, interests and sensory processing. The word “spectrum” is essential: autistic presentations vary greatly from one person to another.
For a child or teenager: child / teenager ASD screening.
A very broad spectrumFeatures and support needs vary greatly.
Developmental in originEven when diagnosis occurs much later.
Strengths and difficultiesThe whole profile needs to be understood.
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
ASD is a neurodevelopmental condition. Features are present during the developmental period, even when they become clearly noticeable only later, as social or independence demands exceed the person's available compensatory strategies.
There is no single autistic profile. Some autistic people speak fluently, work and live independently, while others require substantial support across many areas of life.
The two core domains of ASD
Behavior, interests and sensory processing
Repetition, need for sameness, highly intense or restricted interests, and unusual responses to sensory input.
Possible features can be very diverse
Communication
Difficulty knowing when to speak, understanding some implied meanings, reading expressions or communicating one's own states in socially expected ways.
Relationships
Difficulty making friends, maintaining some relationships or understanding implicit social rules.
Repetition and routines
Repetitive movements, a need to do things in the same way, distress with change or rituals.
Interests
Particularly intense, precise and sometimes highly absorbing interests.
Sensory processing
Hyper- or hyposensitivity to noise, light, smell, texture, temperature, pain or other sensations.
Executive functioning
Some people also experience difficulty with organization, planning or switching tasks, sometimes in connection with coexisting ADHD.
Features can be subtle in adulthood
A person may have learned to make eye contact, hold a conversation or imitate expected behavior. The fact that a feature is less visible today does not necessarily mean that it was never present. Developmental history therefore matters greatly.
Different ASD presentations
Current classifications describe ASD using clinical specifiers rather than separating “autism,” “Asperger syndrome” and “atypical autism” into distinct diagnoses.
Levels 1, 2 or 3
Support levels describe how much support is needed in the relevant domains. They do not summarize the whole person and needs can differ across domains.
With or without intellectual impairment
ASD may occur with or without intellectual impairment. Average or very high intelligence does not rule out autism.
With or without language impairment
Language abilities vary widely and are a separate dimension of the diagnostic description.
What about Asperger syndrome?
The expression “Asperger syndrome” remains widely used, but the former diagnosis is now included within ASD. It does not automatically correspond to Level 1: support needs need to be assessed individually.
Read the page about Asperger syndrome and ASD profiles without intellectual impairment →
Adults, girls and women: when ASD goes unnoticed
Some people are not identified until adulthood. They may have developed sophisticated strategies to imitate social conventions, anticipate conversations or hide their reactions. This masking can make autistic functioning less visible while producing substantial fatigue.
In girls and women, some presentations may be less likely to be recognized when interests appear socially typical or social imitation skills are strong.
Why seek an ASD diagnosis?
A diagnosis can help explain persistent difficulties as well as strengths that have previously been misunderstood. In children, earlier identification can help provide appropriate support and adjustments. In adults, it can make sense of a life history and help create a more suitable environment.
Understand your functioning
Identify what reflects ASD, what is a strength and what requires more energy.
Adjust expectations
Avoid interpreting genuine difficulties as laziness or lack of motivation when they reflect a real need.
Identify coexisting conditions
ADHD, anxiety, depression or other difficulties can coexist and may require specific treatment or support.
ASD, High Intellectual Potential or ADHD?
ASD, High Intellectual Potential and ADHD are distinct, but some experiences can overlap. Very high intelligence can be associated with a sense of difference; ADHD can explain some difficulties with organization or regulation; ASD involves a more specific developmental pattern of social communication differences and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests.
These conditions can also coexist. The goal is therefore not always to choose one explanation, but sometimes to understand how several profiles interact.
Neurodevelopmental profile
Social communication + restricted or repetitive behaviors, interests or needs for sameness beginning in the developmental period.
ASD screening →Very high cognitive intelligence
Demonstrated through psychometric assessment.
HIP screening →Attention and regulation
Inattention, impulsivity and sometimes hyperactivity, with impact across settings.
ADHD screening →How should possible ASD be assessed?
Developmental history
Understand what was already present in childhood and how the person's functioning changed over time.
Current functioning
Social communication, relationships, routines, interests, sensory processing, independence, work or education.
Alternative explanations
HIP, ADHD, anxiety, personality difficulties and other conditions that may explain part of the picture.
Integrating the information
Diagnosis is based on the overall profile, not on one questionnaire score.
SCREENING
Start with an initial analysis
Screening explores how likely ASD appears to be across its different presentations.
Adult ASD screeningASSESSMENT
Explore it directly
A comprehensive assessment examines the possibility much more deeply and considers alternative explanations.
Schedule an assessmentFrequently asked questions
Can someone be autistic and have high intelligence?
Yes. ASD can occur with or without intellectual impairment. A person can also be both intellectually gifted and autistic.
Are Levels 1, 2 and 3 fixed forms of autism?
They describe the amount of support required in the relevant domains. They do not summarize a person's entire functioning.
Is Asperger syndrome still a separate diagnosis?
No. It is now included within Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Can ASD be identified in adulthood?
Yes. Some people compensate for or mask autistic features for many years.
Can an online test diagnose ASD?
No. Screening can provide orientation, but diagnostic assessment needs to consider the person's whole functioning and developmental history.
Are you wondering whether you may be autistic?
You can start with screening to see whether this possibility deserves further assessment, or request a comprehensive evaluation directly.
