Autism is an umbrella term for a wide spectrum of disorders referred to as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
There are five classifications:
1 Autistic Disorder
2 Asperger Syndrome
3 Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)
4 Rett's Disorder
5 PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
The following descriptions of each of the five classifications of ASD were taken from http://www.special-learning.com/article/autism_classification
Autistic Disorder
Autistic Disorder is commonly called “classic autism.” It is a neurological and developmental disorder that is typically seen during the first three years of life. Individuals diagnosed with this disorder normally manifest developmental delays in communication, social and behavior skills. They often display characteristics that set them apart from others such as the difficulty in engaging in social relationships and an obsession with behavior patterns.
Asperger Syndrome
Asperger Syndrome is identified as the mildest of all disorders under the ASD umbrella, specifically because the symptoms present in this disorder are more manageable and individuals with Asperger’s usually have a better prognosis with the help of constant and proper therapies. People with Asperger Syndrome often do not have significant language delay compared to others in the spectrum. They have the urge to engage in social interactions but may lack the ability to appropriately initiate one. They also manifest a difficulty in motor coordination such as walking, running or anything that involves refined motor skills.
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)
CDD is disorder under spectrum that allows normal development until the age of 3 or 4. Then over the course of months children start to manifest a variety of problems such as language regression, motor and social skills.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
This disorder under the ASD umbrella classifies individuals that exhibit some symptoms, but not all, that are associated with classic autism. Their symptoms are usually not enough to completely classify them under a specific disorder set by the experts. Some symptoms may be mild and some symptoms may be worse than others in the spectrum.
Rett’s Syndrome
Rett’s Syndrome is classified under the ASD umbrella and manifests symptoms such as loss of motor and communication skills after a period of normal development. Children affected by this disorder often lose their ability to speak even though they have normally used speech and language skills normally in the past. They often engage in stereotype hand movements such as wringing and clapping (NICHD, 2010).
Autism Spectrum Disorders mean that no two individuals diagnosed with autism will manifest the same exact symptoms and have the same level of severity. Common autism symptoms such as communication, social and behavioral difficulties will be present in all types of autism but will differ in the manner and severity.
Click on the links below to learn more about the five classifications of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
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