To be diagnosed with one of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders including Autism Spectrum Disorder, the child must have a specific number of characteristics in 3 categories:

1. Social Interaction
2. Communication
3. Behaviour

The specific diagnosis is based on the number of characteristics and the severity of those characteristics. Some of the possible characteristics may include:

1. Social Interaction
   • Unusual eye contact
   • Different and/or decreased interaction
   • Relates better and more frequently to adults than children
   • Prefers to do things without seeking help from others
2. Communication (verbal and nonverbal)
   • Delay in spoken language
   • Difficulty understanding directions
   • Difficulty starting and continuing a conversation
   • May repeat words/phrases that other people say
   • Limited pretend play
   • Gets needs met by taking an adult’s hand
   • Uses gestures to communicate
3. Behaviour
   • Repeats actions e.g. often plays with fingers, rocks body, jumps
   • Unusual play e.g. puts toys in line, repeatedly spins toys
   • Difficulty with change. Prefers things to stay the same.
   • Unusual reactions to sound, smell, taste, touch or visual sensations

Note: This is a general over view and should be accompanied by more detailed