08/20/2025
This is incredibly helpful research that was published in July, which concluded there are four major sub types of autism. The research was drawn from a Spark cohort, which is a community of autistic people who have offered their genetics to research. The four subtypes are:
1️⃣ Social and Behavioral Challenges group
- showed core autism traits, including social challenges and repetitive behaviors, but generally reach developmental milestones at a pace similar to children without autism.
- Often experience co-occurring conditions like ADHD, anxiety, depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder alongside autism.
- 37% of participants
2️⃣ Mixed ASD with Developmental Delay group
- Tend to reach developmental milestones, such as walking and talking, later than children without autism, but usually does not show signs of anxiety, depression or disruptive behaviors.
- “Mixed” refers to differences within this group with respect to repetitive behaviors and social challenges.
- 19% of participants
3️⃣ Individuals with Moderate Challenges
- Show core autism-related behaviors, but less strongly than those in the other groups, and usually reach developmental milestones on a similar track to those without autism.
- They generally do not experience co-occurring psychiatric conditions.
- 34% of participants
4️⃣ Broadly Affected group
- faces more extreme and wide-ranging challenges, including developmental delays, social and communication difficulties, repetitive behaviors and co-occurring psychiatric conditions like anxiety, depression and mood dysregulation.
- This is the smallest group, accounting for around 10% of the participants.
Analyzing data from over 5,000 children in an autism cohort study, researchers at Princeton University and the Simons Foundation have identified four clinically and biologically distinct subtypes of autism: https://bit.ly/4nORcfI
