Autistic spectrum disorders in 3D.

Abstract

The 3D model of ASD teaches us that: Atypicality of any degree can coexist with any degree of general intelligence; Atypicality fades over time in most children; The higher a child's IQ, the faster and more completely the atypical features fade; ASD is not just a "childhood disease". Nurses who deal primarily with adults need to be alert to the possibility that their adult patient with anxiety, depression, alcoholism or "odd behavior" may be a "grown-up who once had ASD", taking into account the lifelong history of social maladaptation that that implies, as well as the recurrence risk for ASD in their offspring.