Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is listed under the category of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Illness, Fifth Edition (DSM 5), a comprehensive reference published by the American Psychiatric Association. The manual separates the illness out into categories of symptoms, which then get more specific. The diagnostic criteria for ASD include:  

• Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as manifested by the following:

• • Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back and forth conversation to failure to initial or respond to social interactions.  
• • Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures.  
• • Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships ranging from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts to difficulties in making friends or absence of interest in peers.  
• Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities as manifested by at least two of the following: 
• Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects or speech.    
• Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior.     
• Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus.  
• Hyper or hypo reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment (ex: indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, etc.).   

Symptoms must be present in the early developmental period.

There are also three levels of severity, based upon how the symptoms impact the person afflicted with this disorder and how much support the person needs in order to function in society.

Intellectual impairment can be co-morbid with the disorder and that can be a specifier as well. Sami has accompanying intellectual impairment.