In recent decades, clinicians and researchers have become increasingly aware of a form of extreme social withdrawal lasting at least six months, known as hikikomori [ 1 ]. The term was coined in the late 1990s by Japanese psychiatrist Saitō Tamaki to describe individuals who withdraw almost entirely from social life, isolating themselves within their home – often in a single room – refusing school or work, and avoiding face-to-face relationships. While some remain connected t

Autism has long been described as a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder/condition. Core behavioural features, typically emerging in infancy or early childhood, have been assumed to persist throughout the lifespan. The research, however, suggests that within the vast heterogeneity of autism , not all individuals follow a single, fixed trajectory. Various reports have documented the presentation of " acquired autism " ( regression ) following a period of typical development.

A Simplification That Simplifies Nothing The 5 th  edition, published in 2013, set out to simplify and modernise the nosology of autism-related disorders, replacing the DSM-IV’s cluster of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs) — Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Rett’s Disorder [ 1 ] and PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) — with a single diagnosis: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The intent was, in principle, laudable: a spectrum

The question of how stable an autism diagnosis is over time has long been debated. While many families and clinicians view an autism diagnosis as lifelong, research suggests that diagnostic stability—how consistently a diagnosis persists over time—depends heavily on which diagnostic framework is used. Emerging evidence indicates that before the introduction of the broader ASD category in the DSM-5  (APA 2013), autism diagnoses were more stable and predictable. Before DSM-5: D

Over the past two decades, research on autism has expanded at an extraordinary pace. Studies on prevalence, lived experience, and...

In the past two decades, our societies have become more fluent in the language of mental health. Public campaigns  encourage people to...

In most cases, ASD is diagnosed between 15 and 30 months. Some children exhibit typical early development, only to lose acquired language and social skills between 15 and 30 months. These cases qualify as regressive autism. However, there are instances of late onset autism where individuals appear to develop typically until adolescence or even adulthood before displaying symptoms consistent with autism. In such cases, an identifiable neurological insult, such as, e.g, herpes

Regression in autism, often seen within the first two years of life, represents a distinct subtype of autism that has sparked considerable scientific interest. While the exact causes of regression are still not fully understood, current research points to a combination of genetic, environmental, metabolic, immune, and neurological factors.

The claim that autistic individuals lack Theory of Mind (ToM)—the ability to understand that others have thoughts, emotions, and...

Theory of Mind (ToM) is a critical aspect of social cognition and undergoes significant developmental changes from infancy to adulthood....

‘Autistic individuals always say what they think / or what they want to say’ There is a common misconception that autistic individuals...

Imitation as a Social Tool in Autism Though the broken mirror hypothesis  predicts that autistic individuals should show severe...

After examining sensory perception in autism in the first book, the newly released second instalment focuses on communication and...

Challenges in diagnosing Diagnosing Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) can be difficult as individuals with this disorder often...

Overlapping symptoms and differences Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) and ASD are two distinct condition. However, they share...

Overlaps, prevalence and comorbidity Overlapping symptoms It is now recognised that ASD and personality disorders (PDs) have a variety of...

Two Spectra or Continua? Autism and schizophrenia are two complex neurodevelopmental disorders/conditions that have been extensively...

Prevalence and comorbidity Comorbidity , or the coexistence of two or more disorders, is common in both autistic individuals and people...

Overlapping symptoms and differences Psychosis Psychosis is not a diagnosis in and of itself but rather a cluster of symptoms present in...

Similarities and differences in conceptualisation, diagnosis and research Similarities: ASD and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions that manifest themselves at different stages of life (two opposite ends of life span, i.e., childhood and old age) (Nadeem et al. 2021; Khan et al. 2016; Rhodus et al. 2020). According to the present trend, they both can be described as neurodivergent conditions. In fact, include both ASD and dementia