Dr. Gerard Costa Discusses Changing Views on Autism Spectrum Disorder with US News

US News writes, “For a long time autism – now called autism spectrum disorder or ASD – was thought to be a disorder of behavior. Developmental challenges children and adults with ASD experience in communicating, learning, problem-solving, interacting with others and maintaining composure or control over behavior were interpreted only as impairments or problems to be fixed.”

Dr. Gerard Costa, Director of the Center for Autism and Early Childhood Mental Health noted the changing views: “Now it is seen as a difference in human functioning. People with autism have differently wired brains. It accounts for their behavior, what they do well and what they don’t do well.” Additionally, he added: “Some people are diagnosed with autism who are extraordinarily bright and competent. There’s a litany of people who were likely autistic. Abraham Lincoln and Albert Einstein were likely adults on the spectrum. But then there’s the other end of the spectrum where there are children who are noncommunicative, self-injurious and withdrawn.”