While the majority of people living with ASDs are of average and above intelligence, the challenges of functioning in the world involve the ability to interact appropriately in varying degrees. Symptoms in early childhood include significant delays in language development, repetitive motor activity such as hand flapping or rocking, little or no eye contact, lack of interest in peer relationships, and a fixation on parts of objects such as a toy's gears or a doll's arm rather than the entire object. Children on the Asperger's end of the spectrum may have perfectly normal eye contact and speech development, but have problems with discerning social cues.

The key to supporting a person living with an ASD is early diagnosis and intervention both on the medical and educational fronts. The sooner this happens, the earlier treatment and individual educational plans can be brought into play, leading to a better outcome for the child.