I think the gold standard is a clinical diagnosis, that an astute clinician interacting with a child, interviewing the parents, talking with teachers makes the diagnosis based on some standard tests and also on clinical impression and skill.
Gerald FischbachAutism is a developmental disorder characterized by two main components: an inability to interact socially with other people with joint attention to understand other people's thoughts.
Gerald FischbachIt is not all that common, but there is a phenomenon where autism could get worse at about age two. There are some controversies whether regression is a prominent part of autism, but many people feel that it's very hard to diagnose autism before you can begin really talking in detail with a child.
Gerald FischbachIn autism there is just genes in part more or less of a probability that you will have the disorder, and that is where interactions with the environment are key.
Gerald FischbachThere is no question there are differences between male and female brains. They are called sexual dimorphisms and you can point to different anatomical structures.
Gerald FischbachAutism reaches out in many different directions. It can be associated with language delays. It can be associated with epilepsy. It can be associated with some degree of intellectual disability, but the two core features of autism, I see, is impairments and social cognition, understanding and in restricted interests and repetitive behaviors.
Gerald Fischbach