Prosper Health's Autism Resource Center

Everyone will, at some point in their lives, find themselves at a loss for words when describing how they’re feeling. When it occurs on occasion, it’s human nature. However, if the challenge to name or express emotions is a prevailing theme in someone’s life, it may be a sign of alexithymia. While primary alexithymia is relatively uncommon, the odds of having alexithymia traits are much higher in autistic people.

On the surface, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can look similar. While both diagnoses commonly co-occur, they are distinct diagnoses that come with unique experiences. Many people find it difficult to distinguish between OCD and autism because of their shared traits, as well as widespread misinformation about both diagnoses.

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Understanding where ASD and OCD overlap and diverge is invaluable. This knowledge allows individuals to seek relevant, tailored support and clinical providers to make appropriate diagnoses.

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Read on to learn more about autism, OCD, and their similarities and differences.

Most people know someone who has a disability––or they have a disability themselves. According to the census, 13.4% of the total population in the U.S. is disabled. This means 44.1 million people live with various challenges, from ambulatory to cognitive to visual. 

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Disabilities can be visible or invisible, such as autism or mental health conditions. In addition to the great variations in disability, there’s also more than one way to view the concept of being disabled.

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Many autistic folks have engaged in discussion at one point or another about whether being autistic is a difference or a disability. This answer can change depending on which model through which we see autism. In the medical model, autism itself is the cause of a disability, but in the social model, autism is a difference, and it is the environment that disables us.

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Read on to explore the differences between the medical and social models of disability.

Most autistic individuals have one or more special interests. A special interest is an intense fixation that far exceeds a typical hobby or passion. An autistic person will typically have the desire to devote large portions of their time, and sometimes large portions of their money, to their special interests. Neurotypical people can and do experience fixations or passions, but having a special interest is a trait strongly associated with autism.

Here’s what you need to know about special interests, how they manifest, the benefits of encouraging them, and more.

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Autism can shape how individuals experience relationships, bringing unique strengths like honesty, loyalty, and focus. However, autism also creates challenges related to interpreting social cues or expressing emotions. These differences can easily lead to misunderstandings.

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Autistic people thrive in relationships with clear communication and mutual understanding. For instance, they may prefer direct communication or need time to recharge after sensory overload. When these needs are respected, it fosters trust and support.

Autism is a condition that can be characterized by social and communication differences and a preference for sameness and repetition. There’s a common saying that “if you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person” because there is tremendous variability in how autistic traits present. The level of support each autistic person needs can also vary greatly. Each person diagnosed with autism will also be assigned a ‘level’ meant to reflect their support needs, but what exactly does this mean? 

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These support levels are outlined by the DSM, or The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This is the U.S. handbook for mental health diagnoses. The DSM is updated every few decades, and the DSM-5, released in 2013, marked a big shift in the classification and description of autism.

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The DSM-5 combined the older diagnoses of Asperger’s syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and autistic disorder into one: autism spectrum disorder (ASD).