student asking question

What does "on the spectrum" mean?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

The phrase "on a spectrum" as used here is used to classify something, or suggest that it can be classified, in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme or opposite points. Ex: You don't want to be too far left or too far right of the political spectrum. Ex: The students in my class are often at different ends of the language spectrum. “On the spectrum” is usually used when referring to the specific set of behavioral and developmental problems and the challenges associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. ASD means that a person's communication, social, and play skills are affected in some way. Be careful as "on the spectrum" and "on a spectrum" have completely different meanings.

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