* The diagnostic criterion of onset of Autism spectrum disorders allows for the condition not becoming obvious until “social demands exceeds the ability of the child to cope”. This means that a child may be able to cope in familiar settings and with familiar people but with change and different settings and different people, the child becomes stressed and may display this stress through a tantrum or some other form of unusual or repetitive behaviour e.g. hand flapping.
Two diagnostic tools (checklists for diagnosis):
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V (DSM V) &
- The International Classification of Diseases 10 (ICD 10).