If a doctor asked you to draw two columns on a piece of paper and list symptoms for DS or ASD in either, what would your list look like? Over my eight-year adventures with ER visits, hospital stays, urgent care centers, and psychology evaluations I have realized the sometimes-subtle differences between these categories.
Down Syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes developmental delays and certain physiological features. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with both genetic and environmental influences. It is not solely a genetic disorder nor a purely psychological disorder but rather a complex condition involving brain development, genetic factors, and environmental influences.
If I were to describe the two, then I would say Down Syndrome is a way of being and Autism is a way of living or behaving within certain environments.
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