This reassessment doesn’t mean that early intervention is any less important for young children diagnosed with autism. As in the past, therapies should aim to remediate the defining impairments of the condition, which include challenges communicating and establishing social relationships, and to reduce harmful and disruptive behaviors, such as head banging and tantrums. But today an optimal outcome will de­­pend on the abilities and desires of the individual and the person’s family and will not necessarily emphasize conforming to typical behavior.