Historical Background
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an umbrella term that includes a variety of specific neurodevelopmental impairments. These include Asperger syndrome, autistic disorder, and more. It is called a “spectrum” disorder because there is no single homogenous set of symptoms that present themselves across all cases. More accurately, ASD presents a series of symptoms that tend to manifest themselves at often vastly varying degrees from person to person. ASD is prevalent across all races, social classes, and geographic regions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), common symptoms of ASD include problems with social, emotional, and communication behaviors. People with ASD tend to exhibit a strong affinity for routine and a severe distaste for sudden change. They also have trouble expressing their physical and emotional needs by way of conventional vectors of communication.
Throughout history, ASD has been severely mischaracterized and...
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Hassan, W. (2020). Disparities Among African Americans with Autism. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102531-1
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