Knowledge Compendium

Autism Spectrum Knowledge Base

Explore a reliable, educational compendium of knowledge about the autism spectrum. Here you will find essential information, supportive strategies, explanations of key terms and tips on how to prepare for a conversation with a specialist, the school or a counselling centre.

approx. 400,000

People on the autism spectrum in Poland

(source: NIK (Supreme Audit Office) report, pacjent.gov.pl)

1 in 36 children

Diagnosis rate according to CDC data

(source: CDC – Centers for Disease Control)

4:1

Ratio of diagnoses in boys to girls

(source: CDC / pacjent.gov.pl)

Clinical Definition of Autism (DSM-5 & ICD-11)

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by two core domains of deficits:

Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction: Difficulties with social-emotional reciprocity, body language, eye contact, and developing and maintaining friendships.
Restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour or interests: A strong need for routines and rituals, echolalia or motor stimming, highly focused fixations, and atypical sensory reactivity (hyper- or hyposensitivity of the senses).

Causes and Epidemiology

Autism is not a disease – it is a different pattern of development of brain structures. Its causes are multifactorial:

Genetic Background: The heritability of the autism spectrum is estimated at 50–90%. Scientific research has identified hundreds of genes that increase the likelihood of ASD.
(source: NIH – National Institutes of Health)
Environmental Factors: Advanced age of both parents, extreme prematurity, infections during pregnancy, perinatal hypoxia.