Is autism a mental illness?

Autism is not a mental illness but a developmental disability that occurs in one out of 68 births, says Autism Society. According to WebMD, autism is a brain disorder in which parts of the brain stop functioning as one. Those who have autism can have mild to severe symptoms.

Each person’s abilities are different, and while one person may only need to work on social interaction, the next person may need thorough support just to learn basic daily skills, says Autism Society. Symptoms of autism include a delay in verbal communication, not speaking at all, sensory impairment and poor social interaction.