Which of the following statements is correct about 'Autism'?

Concept

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is classified, under both the DSM-5-TR and ICD-11, as a neurodevelopmental disorder — a condition arising from atypical patterns of brain development in early life that produce persistent differences in social communication, restricted or repetitive behaviours, and sensory processing across the lifespan.

Application

Matching this definition against the given statements: ASD is fundamentally a difference in neural development, not a disease with a single environmental trigger, not a condition that resolves on its own, and not one that confers a special skill on every individual who has it. The statement that autism is a neuro-developmental disorder is the one that aligns directly with the accepted clinical classification.

Cross-check: why the other statements do not hold

• Savant-level exceptional skills are documented in only a minority of autistic individuals, not in every autistic person — generalising a minority pattern to “all” overstates the evidence.

• Twin and family studies show a strong hereditary and biological contribution to autism, with environmental factors acting as additional risk modifiers rather than a sole cause — so a single-cause environmental claim does not match the evidence.

• Autism is a lifelong condition with no medical cure; early, structured intervention can improve adaptive functioning, but that is management, not a cure that arrives with age.

Result

Autism is best described as a neuro-developmental disorder, consistent with the CTET 2024 official key and current developmental-psychology understanding of ASD.