What is a common characteristic of those diagnosed with autism?

Individuals diagnosed with autism typically exhibit challenges related to social interaction, making this characteristic a common experience among them. These difficulties can manifest in various ways, such as challenges in understanding social cues, maintaining conversations, forming and sustaining relationships, and exhibiting appropriate emotional responses in social settings.

While some individuals with autism may develop effective communication skills, it is not a universal trait that they are always verbally articulate. Similarly, the notion that they do not require any form of support is misleading, as many individuals benefit from various forms of intervention or assistance to navigate social situations more effectively. Lastly, while some may indeed have exceptional skills in areas like mathematics, this is not a defining characteristic of autism and only applies to a subset of those with the diagnosis. Social interaction difficulties are more consistently observed across the autism spectrum and are central to understanding the condition.