Amy Schumer raises awareness about adult autism spectrum disorder through her husband’s recent diagnosis

foxnews.com:

Comedian Amy Schumer revealed last week on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that her 42-year-old husband, chef Chris Fischer, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as an adult, which is helping raise awareness that the condition can also be diagnosed as we get older.

ASD " … is a complex, lifelong developmental condition that typically appears during early childhood and can impact a person’s social skills, communication, relationships, and self-regulation," according to the Autism Society. "It is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is often referred to as a ‘spectrum condition’ that affects people differently and to varying degrees." Autism is often diagnosed in children around a toddler’s age, but "high-functioning" autism may not be diagnosed until adulthood, according to Healthline. "Autism was seen as rare in the 1980’s and 1990’s, occurring in 3-7 children in 10,000, but now autism spectrum disorder is identified in 1 in 44 children.There are many genetic and developmental causes, but generally the cause is unknown," Dr.

Robert Diamond told Fox News. Diamond’s a retired director of Kaiser Permanente Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinic in Rancho Cordova, Calif., with over 40 years of experience treating children and adults with ASD.

ASD is characterized by difficulty with social interactions, like difficulty making or keeping friends, avoiding eye contact with others, restricted interests and repetitive behaviors with extreme difficulty with change, according the American Psychiatric Association.