Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a set of neurodevelopmental disorders that affect how children process information and see the world. ASD can impact children’s social relationships, communication skills and behaviors in different ways and to different degrees. Children with ASD may have restricted interests or repetitive patterns of behavior. ASD usually appears during the first three years of a child’s life. Most parents first notice the loss of skills or developmental delays when their child is 15 to 18 months old. Symptoms can range from very mild to severe. Each child might display a unique combination of characteristics ranging from low to high functioning forms of ASD, requiring individually determined educational and treatment programs.

Minnesota Department of Education - Autism Spectrum Disorder 
Autism Society of Minnesota  - AUSM 

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Department of Human Services 
DHS Autism Spectrum Disorder

Medical Diagnosis vs Special Education Eligibility
Medical Diagnosis vs Special Education Eligibility

Overlapping Characteristics & Related Mental Health Diagnoses in Children
Overlapping Characteristics and Related Mental Health Diagnoses