| Autism is a complex developmental disability with | | | | Some children with Aspergers Syndrome have |
| many different levels of severity. Technically, | | | | reduced sensitivity to pain and an increased |
| there is one diagnosis that is Autism. People do | | | | sensitivity to bright lights and loud noises. With this |
| however refer to the Pervasive Developmental | | | | type of Autism disorders they also have average |
| Disorders as disorders on the Autism spectrum or | | | | or above-average intelligence. |
| Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Autism | | | | Childhood Disintegrative Disorder: |
| Spectrum Disorders are developmental brain | | | | Childhood Disintegrative Disorder includes severe |
| disorders that cause impaired social interaction, | | | | regression in communication skills, social behavior, |
| problems with verbal and nonverbal | | | | and all developmental motor skills. At the beginning |
| communication, and unusual, repetitive, or | | | | these children seem perfectly normal. They start |
| severely limited activities and interests. Autism is | | | | to regress at between ages 2-4 years. At that |
| just one of five different types of Autism | | | | time these children stop socializing, lose |
| disorders. | | | | potty-training skills, stop playing, lose motor skills |
| Below are definitions and characteristics of the | | | | and stop making friends. |
| five different autism disorders. | | | | Rett Syndrome: |
| Classic Autism: | | | | Rett syndrome is a neurological and |
| Autism is the second leading childhood | | | | developmental disorder that mostly occurs in |
| developmental disorder and is considered the | | | | females and is marked by poor head growth. |
| most severe of the different types of Autism | | | | Loss of muscle tone is usually the first symptom. |
| disorders. People with Classic Autism develop | | | | Other early symptoms may include problems |
| language late, or not at all. People affected with | | | | crawling or walking and diminished eye contact. |
| Classic Autism have difficulties talking with other | | | | They stop using their hands to do things and |
| people or a profound lack of affection or | | | | often develop stereotyped hand movements, |
| emotional contact with others, an intense wish for | | | | such as wringing, clapping, or patting their hands. |
| sameness in routines, muteness or abnormality of | | | | The inability to perform motor functions is |
| speech, high levels of Visio-spatial skills, but major | | | | perhaps the most severely disabling feature of |
| learning difficulties in other areas. Symptoms of | | | | Rett syndrome, interfering with every body |
| autism usually appear during the first three years | | | | movement, including eye gaze and speech. Infants |
| of childhood and continue throughout life. Autism is | | | | with Rett syndrome seem to grow and develop |
| a spectrum disorder because the severity of | | | | normally at first, but then stop developing and |
| impairment in each of these areas differs in each | | | | even lose skills and abilities. |
| individual. | | | | Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise |
| Aspergers Syndrome: | | | | Specified: |
| A Person with Aspergers Syndrome can exhibit a | | | | This tends to describe people who have many or |
| variety of characteristics and the disorder can | | | | all of the different types of Autism disorders. |
| range from mild to severe. Children show | | | | Children with PDDNOS either do not fully meet |
| deficiencies in social skill and have difficulties with | | | | the criteria of symptoms used to diagnose any of |
| transitions or changes. They compulsively cling to | | | | the four specific types above, and/or do not |
| rituals and any changes in their routine can upset | | | | have the degree of impairment described in any |
| them. They have a great difficulty reading body | | | | of the above four specific types. |
| language and determining proper body space. | | | | |