Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disability that results from a disorder of the human central nervous system. It is characterized by impairments in social interaction, communication, imagination, interests, and activities and affects development in those areas. There is currently no known cause or cure. Autism affects people of all race, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds -- it knows no bounds. The disorder is four times more prevalent in boys than girls.

Autism presents itself during the first 2-3 years of life. There are three basic impairments from which diagnoses are made:
          1. Impaired social interaction
          2. Impaired communication
          3. Restricted and repetetive interests and activities
These characteristics of autism articulate an autistic individual's instistence on sameness and aloneness. In fact, the word "autism" comes from the Greek word for self, autos, emphasizing the inability to communicate outside oneself. Diagnosing autism must be objective; however, symptoms are often interpreted on a case-by-case basis. Autism, as a spectrum disorder, includes a large scope of numerous symptoms and behaviors that vary in severity and can differ significantly. Certain behavoirs are present in some individuals with autism, while they are absent in others.

Individuals with autism often engage in stigmatizing and problematic behaviors that require highly specialized and consistent care.

Once thought to be a rare disease, autism now affects 1 in 166 people in the United States, and currently 1 in 96 people in New Jersey. Autism's prevalence increases each year at a rate of 10-17%. At such a rate, New Jersey's service system is just not sufficient enough to handle the specialized needs of individuals with autism.