Which criterion indicates impairment due to ASD symptoms?

• A. Age of onset
• B. Clinically significant impairment in functioning
• C. Number of symptoms
• D. Family history

Answer: (B)

Clinically significant impairment in functioning is the key indicator that ASD symptoms are affecting real-life daily life. For an ASD diagnosis, the patterns of social communication deficits and restricted, repetitive behaviors must cause meaningful problems in important areas such as social relationships, school or work performance, or daily living tasks. Without this level of impact, the behaviors might be present but not considered a disorder.

Age of onset tells you when symptoms begin, not whether they impair functioning today. The number of symptoms relates to how widespread the features are, but without impairment those features don’t meet the diagnostic threshold. Family history can inform risk but isn’t a criterion for diagnosing impairment due to ASD symptoms.