I am a doctor, and I work in the very relevant field of child psychiatry. Autism is a pediatric diagnosis because, like mental retardation, it is usually first

I am a doctor, and I work in the very relevant field of child psychiatry. Autism is a pediatric diagnosis because, like mental retardation, it is usually first identified in young children. Similar to mental retardation, the impact is life long. It does not go away by itself.