I've been asked questions like "What is Autism?" but more often, "Where do they fall on the spectrum?". The latter was the first thing I asked after being told the B was Autistic. The answer was, "He's too young to tell." Since then, I've never asked the question again because it doesn't matter, or at least other people's opinion on the subject doesn't matter to me. The dx is not a static thing. My kid's amaze and surprise me and grow everyday. My kid's are who they are, and I can make my own inferences from the criteria for the disorder in the DSM-IV. People have generally heard of both these terms, and unless it's a part of your personal or professional life, that may be about all you know to ask. You probably have ideas of what it is from things you've read or seen in movies or on television. Contrary to (popular) belief, all those with Autism aren't like Rainman with some extraordinary savant skill. That's quite rare. In reality, around 80% of those diagnosed also have an Intellectual Disability or Cognitive Impairment diagnosis as well. It's separate officially from the Autism diagnosis, but is pretty much a result of it. It's hard to learn anything when you can't communicate and prefer your own world to the one we're supposed to reside in. I like this umbrella because it pretty much gives a succinct overview. Although, the DSM-V is coming out next year with changes to the diagnoses on the spectrum, here are the specifics of Autism specifically according to the fourth edition: http://www.autreat.com/dsm4-autism.html .
By the way, despite the changes, which I believe are nearly set in stone, both my kids still qualify as straight-up Autists.. The revisions are going to affect those on the higher end of the spectrum diagnosed with Asperger's, which is a shame because these children desperately need all the help they can get too. Here's a link about the changes being made to the whole manual: http://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx. ASD's are listed under "Neurodevelopmental Disorders".
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