ABSTRACT
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a relatively new term used to describe individuals with a variety of characteristics primarily affecting social language and social interaction, and with the display of restricted, repetitive behaviors or interests. These language, social interaction, and communication deficits are pervasive, sustained, and affect social functioning (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Goldstein, Naglieri, & Ozonoff, 2009). While intellectual disabilities have been described in the literature for centuries, the characteristics of autism have become a focused area of research within the past six decades.
