F84.0 at a glance
F84.0 | |
|---|---|
Official description | Autistic disorder |
Billable | Yes, for dates of service in FY2027 (from October 1, 2026) |
Inclusion terms | Autism spectrum disorder; infantile autism; infantile psychosis; Kanner's syndrome |
Category | F84, Pervasive developmental disorders |
Block | F80-F89, pervasive and specific developmental disorders |
Excludes1 | Asperger's syndrome (F84.5) |
Category note | Code also any associated medical condition and intellectual disabilities |
F84.0 autism spectrum disorder: the name and the code
DSM‑5‑TR uses one diagnosis, autism spectrum disorder. ICD‑10‑CM still uses the older name, autistic disorder, for F84.0, but the term "autism spectrum disorder" is printed in the tabular under F84.0 and the Alphabetic Index entry "Disorder, autism spectrum" leads there too. So a diagnosis written as autism spectrum disorder codes to F84.0 without any translation by the coder.
The code doesn't carry the DSM‑5‑TR specifiers, such as the level of support needed or whether intellectual or language impairment comes with it. Those still belong in the evaluation and the notes, where anyone reviewing the services can find them.
F84.0 and the other F84 codes
Diagnosis in the record | Code |
|---|---|
Autism spectrum disorder, autistic disorder, infantile autism, Kanner's syndrome | F84.0 |
Asperger's syndrome or Asperger's disorder | F84.5 |
Rett's syndrome | F84.2 |
Childhood disintegrative disorder, Heller's syndrome | F84.3 |
Atypical autism; pervasive developmental disorder, unspecified | F84.9 |
Intellectual disability with autistic features | F84.9 |
Social pragmatic communication disorder | F80.82 |
Global developmental delay | F88 |
Autism screening, no diagnosis made | Z13.41 |
Two of those rows surprise people. The index entry "Disability, intellectual, with autistic features" goes to F84.9, not to F84.0 plus an intellectual disability code. And F80.82, social pragmatic communication disorder, has an Excludes1 note for autistic disorder, so the two are never reported together.
Asperger's in older records
F84.5 is still a valid, billable code in FY2027, and F84.0 carries an Excludes1 note against it, so a claim shouldn't list both. When a client's chart says Asperger's syndrome from years ago and your current evaluation documents autism spectrum disorder, code what your evaluation says: F84.0. Carrying F84.5 forward just because it was on the intake paperwork leaves the claim and the note disagreeing.
Coding autism with intellectual disability or ADHD
Category F84 has a "code also" note for any associated medical condition and intellectual disabilities. The intellectual disability block, F70‑F79, says to code first any associated physical or developmental disorders. Read together, a client with autism spectrum disorder and mild intellectual disability is coded F84.0 first, then F70.
ADHD can go on the same claim. Category F90 lists pervasive developmental disorders as an Excludes2, which allows both codes when both are diagnosed. See F90.0 for the inattentive type and F90.2 for combined. If developmental coordination disorder is diagnosed as well, its code is F82.
What to document
- Who made the diagnosis, when, and with what assessment, with the report in the chart or summarized.
- Level of support needed and any accompanying intellectual or language impairment, as stated in the evaluation.
- Associated conditions you are also coding, such as an intellectual disability, ADHD or anxiety.
- For each therapy session: the goal worked on, what you did, how the client responded and what changes next.
Example, fictional client. 15‑year‑old, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual impairment by a developmental pediatrician in 2023 (report on file). Session with client and mother. Worked on a plan for the switch to a new school in January: visual schedule for the first week, a script for asking a teacher for a break. Client practiced the script twice and asked to keep a copy. Diagnosis: autism spectrum disorder (F84.0). Next session: review the schedule and practice the cafeteria routine.
Billing F84.0
CPT code | How it pairs with F84.0 |
|---|---|
90791 | A diagnostic intake, including for clients who arrive with an outside diagnosis |
96130, 96131, 96136 | Psychological or neuropsychological testing when an autism evaluation includes it |
90832, 90837 | Individual therapy, by session length |
90846, 90847 | Family therapy, without or with the client in the room |
Code pages: 90791, 96130, 96131, 96136, 90846 and 90847. Applied behavior analysis is billed with its own adaptive behavior code range, 97151 to 97158, under each plan's own rules.
CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. CPT codes copyright 2026 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
Common mistakes with F84.0
- Coding F84.0 at a screening visit. Until a diagnosis is made, the encounter is Z13.41.
- Listing F84.0 and F84.5 together. F84.0 excludes Asperger's syndrome.
- Adding F80.82 for social communication problems in an autistic client. It's excluded with F84.0.
- Leaving off a documented intellectual disability. The F84 note says to code it too.
- Writing "atypical autism". That wording indexes to F84.9. If you mean autism spectrum disorder, say so.
Family sessions with several voices are hard to document from memory. Our family therapy note template keeps each person's input separate, and Twofold's AI therapy notes can draft it from the session.
Checked against the FY2027 ICD‑10‑CM code set from CMS on October 12, 2026. F84.0 and category F84 did not change in FY2027.