Abstract: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are referred to as pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), characterized by pervasive deficits in socialization and communication, as well as unusual restricted, repetitive behaviors. Accurate diagnosis of ASD is critical to early intervention and helps to improve the rehabilitation for children and the wellbeing for their families. Increasing prevalence highlights the need to increase the focus on early identification, diagnosis, and evidence-based interventions. An emerging body of evidence supports the efficacy of the Chinese traditional medicine especially “JIN’s 3 needling” therapy. Based on work undertaken by Simpson et al. (2005), the efficacy of the intervention and treatment would be evaluated. The identification of core features and the specific for subtypes from the perspective of cognitive neuroscience, such as using eye-tracking in conjunction with ERP or fMRI, constitute another critical area of future research.

Key words: Autism spectrum disorders, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment