Is autism considered a mental illness?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. Although autism can be diagnosed at any age, it is said to be a “developmental disorder” because symptoms generally appear in the first two years of life. read more

Defining autism as a mental disorder is more prominent due to the behavioral characteristics that are easier to identify and recognize. However, there are many more contributing factors that go beyond the behaviors of a person with ASD than contain neurological, cognitive and physical. read more

Autism Is Not a “Mental Illness” Remember that the term "mental illness" is not a diagnosis. It is jargon-- a term society uses to refer to some, usually severe and persistent biologically-based, disorders of the brain such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder which are in the psychiatric manual of symptoms and labels for sets of symptoms arising from some malfunction of the brain, regardless of cause. read more