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DSM-IV-TR specifies three diagnostic categories, each with four components, that are used to make a diagnosis of autistic disorder. These diagnostic categories include impairments in social interaction, communication, and particular patterns of behavior. More information about the individual diagnostic categories and components follows. SOCIAL INTERACTION. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as demonstrated by at least two of the following: impairment in the use of nonverbal behaviors such as eye contact, facial expression, body posture, and gestures used for social interaction failure to develop age-appropriate peer relationships lack of attempts to share pleasure, activities, interests, or achievements with other people (by failing to bring items of interest to a parent, or pointing out animals or objects, for example) inability to respond to social situations or other people's emotions with empathy or a concerned attitude COMMUNICATION. Qualitative impairments in communicating in at least one of the following four areas: lack of, or delay in development of spoken language, without attempts to communicate through alternative means such as gestures or mime in individuals who do speak, severe impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others repetitive and stereotyped use of language, or use of words in unusual, idiosyncratic ways failure to show imaginative play, such as make-believe or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level BEHAVIOR. Restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as demonstrated by at least one of the following: unusual and overly absorbing preoccupation with one or more interests or activities a need for rigid adherence to specific routines or rituals in daily life stereotyped and repetitive motor behaviors using parts of the body such as fingers or hands, or the whole body persistent preoccupation with parts of objects **All text cited from (http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Autism.html)