Autism spectrum disorders are best understood in terms of primary and secondary features.

The secondary features involve the more well-known problems or behaviors associated with autistic spectrum disorders, but in fact these problems are symptoms that result from the primary features.  Accordingly, a child’s intervention program should focus on helping him or her with underlying or primary challenges, rather than on symptoms and behaviors.  An intervention program that focuses on helping a child build a healthy foundation for emotional and social growth will be more effective at eliminating symptoms than a program designed to address the symptoms alone. 

Primary Features: The primary features involve difficulties in a child’s ability to:

• engage in two-way communication involving emotional signals, gestures, and vocalizations
• maintain continuing social exchanges to solve problems
• process auditory, visual-spatial, and other sensory input
• plan and sequence actions (commonly referred to as motor planning and sequencing). 

Secondary Features: The secondary features involve the well-known language, cognitive, and social problems, as well as tendencies toward perseveration (repetitive behavior) and self-stimulation, such as spinning or flapping hands.  These symptoms are often intensified by inappropriate or inadequate interventions, and improved by appropriate interventions and individually-tailored family and educational environments.