Stability of Autism Spectrum Disorders Symptoms over Time

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) were initially studied only in early childhood. However, as the field saw a dramatic increase in interest and research productivity, the focus continued to expand across the life span. A second critical development has been early intervention and speculation regarding recovery. For these and other reasons, stability of core symptoms of ASD and concomitant behavior problems and syndromes across time has become a topic of considerable interest. In this paper, the extant literature on symptom stability in ASD over time is discussed. What we know and areas for future research are reviewed and critiqued.