Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have many common characteristics and symptoms, however each person with ASD has their own unique gifts and difficulties that may differ greatly from their peers. Autism spectrum disorders have a wide variety of signs, symptoms, traits and characteristics that can range from mild impairments to severe disabilities. Each person with autism is unique and may have different traits than the person next to them with autism. As stated on Ascend, "if you've met a person with AS, you've met a person with AS" ("Common Characteristics of AS"). Understanding and identifying the characteristics of autism at all age levels will help parents, caregivers, and doctors notice delays and atypical behaviors so the individual can be diagnosed and receive support services. Autism spectrum disorders have been reevaluated and revamped to clarify and make them easier to diagnose. ASD according to the DSM-V "now includes the distinct previous DSM-IV categories of 'classical' autism, Asperger's disorder... pervasive developmental disorder, and childhood disintegrative disorder" ("Diagnosis of Childhood Spectrum Disorder" autistic DSM-V"). To be diagnosed with ASD a person must have communication and social interaction deficits and repetitive or restricted behaviors (Hyman, Susan). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 68 children have been diagnosed with ASD. It is five times more common in boys than in girls. ASD also appears in all races and ethnicities. If a child in a family has autism, parents are 2 to 18 percent more likely to have a second child with autism. More than half of children diagnosed with ASD have average to above-average intelligence ("Facts and Statistics")....... half of the document... have full-time supervision to have great careers success and live independently (“Symptoms of Autism”). Some adults with autism may have difficulty with small talk, anxiety when things don't go according to plan, or difficulty maintaining a meaningful relationship. Adults with autism may have difficulty making eye contact, expressing emotions, or lack the ability to pick up on body language or facial cues. Many adults with autism also have secondary health problems such as “obsessive compulsive disorder, phobias and anxieties” (Franco, Virginia). Adults with ASD have some positive traits such as average to above average intelligence, great problem solving skills, perseverance and diligence in pursuing goals or tasks, and honesty (“Common Characteristics of AS”). Throughout their lives, many adults have had experience with various therapies and treatments.