What Are 25 Common Traits of Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Autism spectrum disorder is considered a brain development condition that typically has an impact on how a person interrelates with others, affecting communication and social interactions, and may cause difficulties with functioning in society socially, in school, and at the workplace. 

Traits of autism spectrum disorder also typically include various symptoms and repetitive or limited behaviors.

While most individuals with autism are diagnosed in early childhood, that isn’t always the case. An increasing number of individuals receive their diagnosis as pre-teens, teens, and even well into adulthood. 

Much of it can depend on the level of autism an individual has, as it is a broad-based spectrum.

So, what are traits of autism spectrum disorder? Here are top autism spectrum traits adults and children alike may exhibit.

Top 25 Questions About Autism Spectrum Disorder Traits and Behaviors

1. What is autistic stimming?
   

   First, almost everyone stims in some way or another. It isn’t always a pronounced behavior, and can be as simple as popping knuckles or twirling hair. However, many autistic individuals engage in more pronounced hand flapping, rocking, spinning or other repetitive movements as a self-stimulatory behavior or to calm themselves, especially when overstimulated. The behaviors likely stimulate the senses, but serve no concrete communicative purpose. They commonly emerge in early childhood and may resist intervention, but are not inherently harmful unless they interfere with learning.

   READ MORE: Autistic Stimming – We Do It and How It’s Important

2. Is isolation or lack of friends one of the common autism traits?
   

   While not interacting with others can potentially be a sign of autism, it is not definitively so. Autism exists on a spectrum, with some individuals experiencing more significant social challenges than others. There are many possible reasons why a person may choose not to interact regularly with others, including personal preference, social anxiety, depression, other mental health conditions or neurological differences, or circumstances that limit social contact.

   Simply preferring solitary activities does not necessarily imply any underlying medical issue. However, chronic struggles to connect socially, especially when it causes life distress or limitations, could suggest autism or a related condition. If lack of social interaction is paired with repetitive behaviors, sensory issues, or challenges with communication and flexibility in thinking, an autism evaluation may be warranted to better understand the situation. But autism has varying presentations, so a formal assessment regardless of autism spectrum disorder high functioning symptoms is important before drawing conclusions about reasons for limited social tendencies.

   READ MORE: Breaking Down Barriers That Challenge Autism and Friendships

3. Can other conditions co-occur with autism?

   It is very common for individuals with an autism diagnosis to have additional mental and physical health conditions. Studies indicate around 70% of those with autism also meet the criteria for at least one other psychiatric disorder, regardless of whether or not they have autism spectrum disorder high functioning systems. Some of the most prevalent co-occurring conditions include ADHD, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and intellectual disabilities.

   Problems with sleep, gastrointestinal issues, immune dysfunction, and epilepsy are also more likely to accompany an autism diagnosis. Additionally, many people on the spectrum struggle with motor coordination difficulties, sensory processing challenges, learning disabilities, and communication disorders. The comorbidity of other disorders can make it difficult to determine the root causes of symptoms someone may exhibit.

   Ongoing assessment across mental health, neurological, and physiological domains leads to better understanding of how these traits of autism spectrum disorder interact for each unique person. This enables care providers to develop appropriate supports.

   READ MORE: Autism and ADHD – Making Sense of Co-Occurring Conditions

4. Why is a person with autism resistant to change?
   

   Routines/resistance to change – Many autistic persons rely heavily on routines and sameness due to impaired ability to flexibly shift actions and thoughts. Change can trigger great stress because understanding the implications strains cognitive resources. Sticking to routines likely represents an effective compensatory strategy, as unpredictable situations demand quick processing autistic people struggle with. Slow, gradual change management tends to work best.

   READ MORE: Break Free – 10 Tips to Take A Risk and Escape Your Comfort Zone

5. Is sensory sensitivity considered one of the common traits of autism spectrum disorder?
   

   Unusual sensory responses are very common in autism, whether hypersensitivity, hyposensitivity or sensory seeking behaviors. Differences processing and filtering sensory info in areas like touch, sound and sight underlie this. Reactions can seem bizarre to others but have an underlying logic for that individual. Identifying triggers helps prevent overstimulation and teach coping strategies.

   READ MORE: Autism Clothing for Sensitive Skin Can Enhance Quality of Life

6. Why are meltdowns common as part of the autism spectrum disorder checklist?
   

   Autistic meltdowns involve losing control of emotions, often when overstimulated or unable to cope with change. Triggers vary but share an underlying logic – the person becomes overwhelmed. Meltdowns represent an intense fight-flight-freeze reaction, not willful misbehavior, so should not be punished. Meltdowns can occur at any age, regardless of whether someone exhibits autism spectrum disorder high functioning symptoms or has greater support needs. Calmly removing the person from the triggering situation and avoiding escalation is best. Validate their emotions afterward and help identify meltdown triggers proactively.

   READ MORE: Mastering the Art of Calming Down Autism Meltdowns

7. What is Echolalia autism and is it one of the traits of autism spectrum disorder?

   Repeating words, phrases or dialogues heard before (echolalia) is extremely common in autism. Immediate echolalia (repeating something just heard) may aid language acquisition. Delayed echolalia reflects remembered speech comforting when stressed or a means to interact. While echolalia has communicative intent and helps regulate behavior, it can impede functional communication. Gentle redirection towards more spontaneous language is often used.

   READ MORE: Echolalia Autism and How Repetition Can Lead to Better Language Processing

8. Is anxiety and stress common with autism?
   

   Anxiety is common experience for individuals on the autism spectrum, with around 40 percent of autistic individuals experiencing what is termed “clinical” levels of anxiety. Anxiety and high functioning autism can be especially chaotic, as individuals that fall into this category may “feel” the emotions to an even greater extent than others. A popular theory as to why more autistics experience symptoms of autism is because of the struggle to understand socializing in general. Some experts theorize that individuals with autism spectrum disorder high functioning symptoms may exhibit greater stress and anxiety than those with greater support needs because they recognize their struggles to fit in and be accepted more greatly.

   READ MORE: Anxiety and Autism – 5 Powerful Strategies to Conquer Emotions
   

9. What are social reciprocity differences and they part of autism spectrum traits adults and children have?
   

   Autistic persons often have marked challenges with social reciprocity like atypical eye gaze, limited shared interests, one-sided conversations and misreading social cues. These arise from neurological differences processing relevant social information, rather than lack of interest in relationships. Social skills training, modeling, role play and prompt hierarchies help teach the dynamics that come naturally to neurotypicals.

   READ MORE: Inferencing and Body Language Hurdles to Overcome

10. Why do autistic individuals have such strong hyperfocus?

    Many autistic people have intensely restricted interests and expansively pursue facts, details and specialized aspects of certain topics. It’s considered part of the autism spectrum disorder checklist. Restricted interests likely represent rewarding areas of competence and control. The behavior is not intentionally odd. Gently widening conversation to more reciprocal interests is often attempted. But hyper focused interests also provide joy and stability. Channeling them into educational and vocational strengths is often possible with support.

    READ MORE: OCD and Autism Link – Are You Organized or Obsessed?

11. What are sensory seeking behaviors?

    Some autistic individuals compulsively seek sensory input like smelling objects, constant tactile stimulation or visual fixation on moving objects. As with sensory avoidance, atypical neurological wiring drives these behaviors. The stimuli may calm in high-stress situations or provide enjoyable cognitive/physical arousal. Providing safe and constructive sensory stimulation outlets helps reduce sensory overload and calm certain behaviors.
    

    READ MORE: Sensory Integration Dysfunction? A Sensory Diet Can Change Your Life

12. Is delayed or atypical speech a symptom of autism?
    

    A sizable minority of autistic individuals have little or profoundly delayed speech, despite some having average or high intelligence. Others have advanced vocabularies but struggle conversationally. Some autistics may be nonverbal, while others may have co-occurring conditions like autism and apraxia. Others still may talk too fast or without inflection, but atypical speech may or may not be due to an autism diagnosis. Atypical speech is typically considered when reviewing someone to see if they present on the autism spectrum disorder checklist.

    READ MORE: Why Autism and Apraxia Often Share Common Ground

13. Can an individual with autism understand nuances?
    

    Autistic persons often interpret language extremely literally, missing nuances like irony, implied meanings and figurative speech. Humor or sarcasm are often difficult to grasp. This reflects differences in inferring speakers’ intents beyond words’ face value. Challenges with cognitive flexibility and generalization also play a role. Using literal, concrete phrasing helps clarity. Explaining nonliteral speech and multiple meanings of idioms provides learning opportunities over time.
    
    READ MORE: 8 Popular Ways to Manage and Master Autistic Social Awkwardness

14. Is being a picky eater typical for autism? 
    

    Many autistic children and adults rigidly prefer certain “safe” foods while refusing novel or mixed textures. Sensory sensitivity likely drives food selectivity. Restricted diets may also stem from gastrointestinal issues sometimes co-occurring with autism. Regardless of origins, expanding food flexibility takes patience, creativity and positive reinforcement. Forcing or punishing counterproductive eating often backfires by provoking more anxiety. While being a picky eater is one of many common traits of autism spectrum disorder, it is often lessened with maturity.
    
    READ MORE: Selective Eating – Ways to Beat the Autism Picky Eater Test
    

15. Is lining up objects a symptom of autism?
    

    It’s extremely common for autistic children to line up toys or objects, assign invisible roles or functions to them, and focus more on parts than wholes. For instance, repetitively spinning a toy car’s wheel rather than having it interact or “play.” These behaviors reflect autism’s characteristic preference for detail focus, need for control and challenges with flexible imaginative play. This behavior may continue into adulthood, where individuals desire to line up their pencils or pens on a desk, or require certain organization in order to be content. It’s important to note that “disorganized chaos” to neurotypicals is exactly how an individual with autism may prefer to organize.
    
    Read More: Autism and Organization – The Secret to Finding Calm in the Chaos
    

16. Why do some autistics enjoy being upside down or going bottoms up?
    

    For some on the autism spectrum, being upside down, going bottoms up, or otherwise altering their spatial orientation provides appealing sensory input. Autism is often associated with differences in processing various sensations, as well as atypical sensory seeking behaviors. The vestibular system, which regulates balance and spatial orientation, is linked to the brain’s sensory networks. Many autistic individuals have vestibular abnormalities, meaning activities that stimulate this system can be calming or regulating when they feel overwhelmed. Seeking out activities like flipping upside down, handstands, somersaults or other atypical body positioning is harmless and often enjoyable. Understanding these motivating factors validates neurological diversity.

    READ MORE: Bottoms Up – Flipping Your World With Vestibular System Therapy

17. Is lack of eye contact normal?
    

    Avoiding eye contact and challenges perceiving socioemotional cues from the eyes and face characterize autism early on. Researchers link this to differences in specialized gaze processing and mirrored brain systems that typically develop to prioritize eyes, register gaze shifts, and derive social meaning. Some individuals with autism roll their eyes. Teaching appropriate eye contact through modeling and rewards in structured settings can help, but may always be a struggle for some on the spectrum.

    READ MORE: Eye Contact Avoidance and 8 Best Ways to See Eye to Eye

18. Do autistics dislike being touched?
    

    Many autistic people dislike or show an extreme negative response to being touched or hugged due to tactile defensiveness. Touch likely causes distress or even pain thanks to cortical differences registering and filtering tactile stimuli. Respecting personal space wishes by asking consent before contact prevents overload. Response varies drastically by individual – firm pressure may calm one autistic person while enraging another.  Many autistics also have very specific touch defenses, meaning they may crave touch from a select few, while shunning touch from others. While touch can be among common traits of autism spectrum disorder, the reactions to touch may lessen or change in time and a person become more accepting within boundaries.

    READ MORE: 5 Ingenious Ways for Creating Boundaries in a Relationship

19. What is masking/camouflaging?
    

    Autism was once wrongly thought to be a male-only disorder, in large part to females being more apt to mask or camouflage difficulties early on in order to better fit in socially. But autism in females is a reality as well. Signs like restricted interests may be wrongly perceived as typical girlhood passions. Progressively exhausting compensation leads to burnout, anxiety and depression. Later diagnosis delays needed supports and understanding. Active screening for undiagnosed autism in women leads to expanded societal inclusion.

    READ MORE: Autism Masking & Code Switching – How to Redefine Acceptance

20. Do autistics have a lack of empathy?

    It is a common myth that autistic individuals lack empathy. In reality, autistics do not typically have impaired empathy, but they may show it or express it differently than neurotypical people. Because those on the spectrum struggle with instinctively reading social cues or emotional states, it can be challenging for them to respond with empathy in a way that seems natural or expected. However, research shows autistics experience similar levels of affective empathy to others, meaning they share the emotions of people around them. However, many autistics have higher cognitive empathy – the ability to rationally understand different perspectives.

    READ MORE: Flat Affect Autism and How to Support Emotional Expression

21. Is aggression with autism common?

    Aggressive behavior is not inherently characteristic of traits of autism spectrum disorder. However, studies indicate that up to two-thirds of autistic children exhibit some level of physical aggression due to the interplay of various factors.

    Communication challenges make it difficult for those with autism to express needs appropriately, leading to acting out. Difficulty processing sensory stimuli or changes in routine can also prompt aggressive meltdowns. Additionally, co-occurring conditions like ADHD or OCD that involve impulse control issues influence aggressive tendencies in some on the spectrum. At the same time, aggression among autistic individuals often diminishes significantly by adolescence as verbal skills develop.

    While aggression remains less common in adults on the spectrum, some do exhibit intense emotional outbursts, whether due to environmental triggers or psychiatric co-occurring systems. Yet many adults with autism display mild-mannered, nonviolent behaviors.

    READ MORE: Exploring the Dark Side of Autism and Aggression

22. Do individuals with autism get depressed?
    

    Depression is a mood disorder that impacts many people to some degree, including those on the autism spectrum. In fact, studies estimate that depression occurs in roughly 30% of autistic individuals, a rate much higher than the general population.

    There are theories as to why depression tends to accompany an autism diagnosis. Social challenges, communication difficulties and struggles with sensory overload mean people with autism must put in more effort interacting, which can spur feelings of isolation or loneliness. Coping with the judgement and lack of acceptance from others saddens many on the spectrum too.

    Additionally, people with autism are often highly empathetic and attuned to suffering in the world, predisposing some to depression. Frustrations from difficulties with organization, planning and problem solving in those with executive functioning challenges also contribute. Sometimes depression manifests biologically in those on the spectrum for chemical or genetic reasons as well.

    READ MORE: Breaking the Silence – Startling Insights About Autism and Depression

23. Is time blindness autism real?

    Time blindness is a relatively newly defined condition that refers to difficulty perceiving the passage of time accurately. It is considered a type of executive functioning challenge. Those who experience time blindness often struggle with punctuality, meeting deadlines, prioritizing tasks based on time constraints, and estimating how long activities will take.

    While time blindness can impact people for various reasons, it does appear to be a real and common phenomenon among autistic individuals. Research indicates that autism inherently involves cognitive differences that affect one’s perception and processing of time. Many autistics report struggling to keep track of time, judge elapsed time, plan time-related tasks, and fully comprehend the meaning of units like days, weeks or months. When individuals with time blindness also exhibit autism spectrum disorder high functioning symptoms, their challenges with staying on schedule can result in greater stress and social awkwardness.

    These time perception and time management difficulties seem tied to neurological differences in how those with autism learn, attend to information, and organize thoughts. For many on the spectrum, time blindness markedly impedes scheduling, responsibility fulfillment and development of sequential task skills. Understanding this inherent challenge for the autistic community helps ensure appropriate supports.

    READ MORE: When Time Flies So Fast or Slow – Is Time Blindness Real?

24. Are sleep disorders associated with autism?

    Sleep issues are a very common concern for those with traits of autism spectrum disorder. Studies show that 50-80% of autistic children and adults struggle with some type of sleep disorder. Difficulties falling asleep, night waking, irregular sleep patterns, early rising and daytime sleepiness all occur more frequently among those with autism.

    Experts believe biological factors related to brain functioning contribute to these sleep problems in many cases. Melatonin regulation, circadian rhythm disruptions, and abnormal levels of various neurotransmitters all likely play a role. Many medications used to treat other autism-related symptoms also interfere with sleep cycles as a side effect. Stress and anxiety surrounding symptoms or life challenges can additionally disrupt healthy sleep.

    Also, some rigid routines or fixated behaviors characteristic of autism may exacerbate struggles with sleep initiation or maintenance as well. Addressing any underlying causes, teaching healthy sleep habits, and implementing calming bedtime routines are often necessary to alleviate chronic sleep problems for those on the spectrum.

    READ MORE: Top 4 Reasons for Sleepless Nights With Autism

25. Why is having bad hygiene often a symptom of autism?
    

    Difficulty maintaining personal hygiene routines like bathing, toothbrushing and changing clothes is common among many autistic individuals. This common autism straits struggle stems from core differences in executive functioning and sensory regulation that are key parts of autism’s neurology.

    Executive dysfunction makes it challenging for those on the spectrum to organize multi-step self-care tasks, remember and follow daily schedules, prioritize needs like washing, and adapt routines to varying circumstances. Furthermore, common sensory aversions including dislike of water, fear of loud bath or shower noises, or irritation from the feeling of a toothbrush can lead autistic people to avoid hygiene-related activities.

    Unpleasant sensory input often overwhelms and shuts down self-regulation in these situations. Additionally, social challenges associated with autism may inhibit seeking help or input on hygiene from others. By understanding what factors influence autistic hygiene struggles, compassionate teaching, planning aids, sensory modifications and other tailored supports help establish these healthy self-care habits. Autism need not prevent good hygiene with the right coping strategies implemented.

    READ MORE: Autism and Poor Hygiene – The Smelly Truth

If you found these questions-and-answers about traits of autism spectrum disorder helpful, then you might enjoy reading more FAQs related to autism. I’d love to hear from you. Just email me at [email protected]

Additional FAQs About Autism Spectrum Disorder

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• Autism Questions: 6 FAQs You Really Want to Know
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