Is autism a mental illness? Autism is not considered a mental illness. There are many differences between autism and mental illness, mainly including the following points.

1. Different causes of onset

Autism, also known as autism, has many causes, including genetic factors, congenital brain structural and functional abnormalities, and maternal exposure to radiation during pregnancy.

Mental illness may also be caused by congenital factors, but most of them are due to long-term life stress, childhood trauma experiences, or factors such as excessive stimulation.

2. Different ages of onset

Autism mainly occurs in infants and young children.

Mental illness can occur at any age, but most cases occur in adolescents or young adults.

3. Different symptom manifestations

Autism has obvious intellectual problems, and most children with autism will have intellectual disabilities, including low language ability, difficulty concentrating, and low learning ability.

Mental illnesses are usually not accompanied by obvious intellectual disabilities, and most patients with mental illnesses have normal intellectual development before the onset of illness. In addition, many patients with mental illnesses are able to maintain basic intelligence without developmental disorders in language and motor skills after falling ill.

4. Different treatment methods

The treatment of autism mainly relies on professional rehabilitation training, which needs to start from a young age. The first 4 years of life are the golden period for rehabilitation training.

Mental illness is usually treated with medication and professional psychological therapy.