Autism in Pictures (Personal)

DSM in Pictures: Autism (Personal Use)

A visual guide to the DSM-5 criteria

Diagnosis can feel mysterious.  This resource is meant to help demystify what goes into an autism diagnosis.

DSM in Pictures: Autism walks through the diagnostic criteria for autism visually. It translates the clinical language of the DSM-5 into images and plain explanations.

What it is

A visual, image-forward guide to the DSM-5 criteria for autism, created by Dr. Megan Anna Neff, a neurodivergent clinical psychologist who builds visual resources.

It uses the direct language of the DSM for educational accuracy, while gently naming where that language is pathologizing and does not tell the whole story. The DSM describes autism through deficits. This guide holds that clinical framing alongside an affirming, difference-based understanding.

What’s inside

• Criterion A explained visually: differences in social communication and social interaction, with concrete examples of each
• Criterion B explained visually: restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, including sensory differences
• Criteria C, D, and E laid out in clear terms: developmental timing, impact on functioning, and differentiation from other explanations
• An overview of the DSM severity levels and what “support needs” actually describe
• Affirming context throughout, naming where the deficit-based language misses the lived experience of being Autistic

Who it’s for

Anyone who wants a clear, affirming way to understand autism and what goes into the diagnosis. Whether you are exploring your own experience, sitting with a diagnosis you have received, or supporting someone you care about.

It is especially useful if you process visually, if you are newly identified or self-identifying, or if the diagnostic language has felt alienating and a little clinical for something so personal.

What the Personal License allows

This is the Personal Edition, for your own use. You can read it on screen, print a copy for yourself, and return to it whenever it is helpful.

It is not licensed for professional use with clients or for redistribution. If you are a clinician or coach who wants to share this with the people you work with, the Clinical Edition is built for that.

Format and access

A digital PDF download, designed to be read on screen or printed. Visual-forward and built with cognitive accessibility in mind, with short sections and clear structure so it is usable even on a low-capacity day.