A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple
Contexts, not accounted for by general developmental delays, and manifest by 3 of 3
symptoms:
A1. Deficits in social‐emotional reciprocity; ranging from abnormal social approach
and failure of normal back and forth conversation through reduced sharing of
interests, emotions, and affect and response to total lack of initiation of social
interaction.
• Abnormal social approach
- Unusual social initiations (e.g. intrusive touching; licking of others)
- Use of others as tools
• Failure of normal back and forth conversation
- Poor pragmatic/social use of language (e.g. does not clarify if not
understood; does not provide background information)
- Failure to respond when name called or when spoken directly to
- Does not initiate conversation
- One‐sided conversations/monologues/tangential speech
• Reduced sharing of interests
- Doesn’t share
- Lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people
- Impairments in joint attention (both initiating and responding)
• Reduced sharing of emotions/affect
- Lack of responsive social smile (note: the focus here is on the response to
another person’s smile other aspects of emotional expression should be
considered under A2).
- Failure to share enjoyment, excitement, or achievements with others
- Failure to respond to praise
- Does not show pleasure in social interactions
- Failure to offer comfort to others
- Indifference/aversion to physical contact and affection
• Lack of initiation of social interaction
- Only initiates to get help; limited social initiations
• Poor social imitation
- Failure to engage in simple social games