What is ASD?

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a set of neurodevelopmental disorders.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (5th Edition) (DSM-5), the diagnostic criteria are as follows:

1. Social communication and interaction deficits: e.g. deficits in social-emotional reciprocity; deficits in non-verbal communicative behaviours used for social interaction; deficits in developing, maintaining and understanding relationships.
2. Fixed interests and repetitive behaviours: e.g. stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects or speech; insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behaviours; highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus; hyper- or hypo-sensitivity to sensory input or unusual interests in sensory aspects of the environmen

For more information about Autism Spectrum Disorder, please refer to:

• EDB, HKSAR - Special Education Resource Centre
• Child Assessment Service, Department of Health