According to the DSM-5, which is a criterion for diagnosing ASD?

The criterion for diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) according to the DSM-5 emphasizes persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts. This includes challenges in understanding and using verbal and nonverbal communication, difficulties in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships, and impaired social reciprocity. These deficits are key indicators that can significantly impact a person's ability to engage in everyday social situations.

While other behaviors, such as an obsession with a specific topic or extreme sensitivity to sensory stimuli, may occur in individuals with autism, they are not core criteria for the ASD diagnosis according to the DSM-5. Increased intelligence is not a criterion for ASD either, as the disorder can present across a wide range of cognitive abilities, including intellectual disability. Thus, the focus on social communication deficits is central to the identification and diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.