Anyone can be autistic. You probably know a friend, family member, or co-worker who is autistic. Perhaps you are autistic yourself.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how people communicate and interact, and how a person's brain develops and functions, from infancy through adulthood. What autism looks like, and how it affects a person's life, can vary widely across the autism spectrum, and even throughout the same person's lifetime.
The autism spectrum is not that one person is "more" or "less autistic" than another. It is a group of characteristics, and each individual may have any combination of these traits to varying degrees.
This Quick Learner video from Duke University and the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development shares more information. To learn more about the autism spectrum, visit the center's website.
The Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development provides clinical care, conducts cutting edge research, trains the next generation of scientists, and advocates for public policies.