How to Explain Autism to Kids: Mental Health Disorder or Neurodevelopmental Difference?
Autism is not a mental health disorder. It’s a neurodevelopmental condition, meaning differences in brain development that affect how a person processes information, communicates, and experiences the world from birth. The distinction matters enormously for families navigating support systems, schools developing accommodations, and anyone working to reduce the stigma that comes from misclassification.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) places autism spectrum disorder squarely in the neurodevelopmental category alongside conditions like …










