Autism is a lifelong way of being, not a temporary condition, and lawmakers need a clear, non‑sensational definition that separates identity from distress. Under the DSM‑5, autism is one spectrum diagnosis defined by specific social‑communication differences and repetitive or sensory patterns, with severity based on how much support a person needs—not by creating new labels like ‘profound autism.’
Core definition
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how a person experiences the world, interacts with others, communicates, and processes sensory information. It usually begins in early childhood and continues throughout life. Autism is described as a spectrum because autistic people share core features, but the combination and intensity of those features vary widely from person to person.
Clinically (DSM‑5‑TR), autism spectrum disorder is defined by:
- Persistent differences in social communication and social interaction, and
- Restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, including sensory differences.
What autism is not
- It is not a disease that can be “cured”; it is a lifelong neurotype.
- It is not a simple synonym for “low IQ” or “behavior problems”; autistic people span the full range of intellectual abilities and personalities.
- It is not a single stereotype; some autistic people are nonspeaking, some are highly verbal, some need intensive daily support, others live and work independently.
Why “spectrum” matters for policy
Autism used to be split into multiple labels (autism, Asperger’s, PDD‑NOS, etc.). These were merged into one spectrum diagnosis to reflect evidence that autistic traits exist on a continuum and overlap substantially. The spectrum model acknowledges that support needs can be very high or relatively low and can change over time, without implying that someone is a “different kind of person” when needs change.
For lawmakers, this means:
- Severity is best understood in terms of how much and what kind of support a person needs to participate in daily life, not as fixed “types” of autism.
- Creating new sub‑categories in statute (like “mild,” “moderate,” or “profound” autism) risks disconnecting law from science and excluding people whose needs do not fit those boxes.
Autism versus distress or trauma
Many behaviors that prompt families to use crisis language (e.g., “profoundly autistic”) are actually signs of distress, anxiety, or trauma, not a different form of autism. Sudden regression in skills, new nightmares, new self‑harm, or extreme fear tied to specific places or people fit better with mental health or trauma frameworks than with a change in autism itself.
For policy:
- Autism = a person’s enduring neurodevelopmental profile.
- Distress/trauma = change from that person’s own baseline, triggering entitlement to mental health and disability supports already available under Medicaid, HCBS, IDEA, and related frameworks.
What lawmakers can say in one sentence
“Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disability—a different way of processing the world—defined by differences in social communication and repetitive or sensory patterns; support needs may be high or low, but that variation exists within the same spectrum, and when an autistic child is in crisis, we should treat the crisis through our existing mental health and disability systems, not redefine autism itself.”
Dr. Henny Kupferstein (Autistic) reading the diagnostic criteria for the DSM-5 reading on autism spectrum disorder, pp 50-58. (video is 22 minutes long).
This Is Not Autism 