Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Remarkable Gap Between Diagnostic And Effective Care

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests early in childhood, significantly affecting cognitive, social, and emotional functioning. Despite its role in advancing the field of child psychiatry, ASD remains a topic of ongoing debate and discussion. This is true at various levels, including its diagnostic characteristics, epidemiology, causal hypotheses, as well as approaches to rehabilitation and treatment. Although considerable progress has been made, particularly in the fields of neuroscience and biology, controversies persist. In this paper, we aim to explore, through an analysis of the currently available data, the different aspects of the ongoing debates surrounding autism spectrum disorder.