Autism disorders are developmental disorders that affect social interaction and behavior. The autism spectrum accommodates cases of different severity and symptoms, with no fixed definition for terms like “high functioning autism.” The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual recognizes several autism disorders, including autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, Rett disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and “atypical” pervasive developmental disorder. Symptoms can vary greatly in severity, and people with autism may have specific interests or impaired social development.
The different types of autism disorders form a set of developmental disorders, which together make up the autism spectrum. All types of autism disorders are developmental disorders characterized by, among other things, an aversion to social interaction and sometimes rigid or repetitive behaviors. The autism spectrum is a scale that accommodates cases of different severity and symptoms. For example, some disorders distinguish between different levels of language learning or age of onset. While we sometimes hear terms like “high functioning autism,” that terminology is relative and has no fixed definition.
Because autism is a developmental disorder, all types of autism are characterized by an inability to fully develop certain skills. Autism disorders have in common a lack of typical social development and communication and fixed interests or behaviors that may appear obsessive. Social symptoms can include not responding to one’s name when called, lack of sustained eye contact, and an inability to interpret what others are thinking or feeling. It is important to note that these symptoms can vary greatly in severity, as well as in combination. For example, an autistic person may have fairly typical language development but still have great difficulty carrying on conversations.
In the United States, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, published by the American Psychiatric Association, contains all mental health disorders recognized by the Association. It is better known as DSM with a number designating its current edition, because it is subject to periodic revision. In the United States it is considered the definitive reference for mental health disorders. It recognizes a handful of autism disorders, including autistic disorder, Rett disorder, Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and “atypical” pervasive developmental disorder.
Autistic disorder is often referred to simply as autism. In addition to the lack of social development and communication, autistic people often have very specific interests. Autistic children may prefer to line up toys instead of the imaginative play typical of developing children, or prefer being alone instead of playing with others. While these terms are relative, a high-functioning autistic person might have above-average language skills while a low-functioning autistic person might exhibit mental retardation.
Other autism disorders include Asperger’s disorder, which is characterized by capable language skills and sometimes above-average intelligence. People with Asperger’s show other autistic behaviors such as impaired social development, although usually to a slightly lesser extent. Rett disorder is a specific genetic disorder that usually occurs in girls and is characterized by normal development that slows or regresses by one or two years of age.
Childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD) is a rare disorder that also includes regressive development, usually in social development that occurs between the ages of three and five. Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NSO) is also called atypical autism. This could include, for example, less severe autism symptoms or only one specific autism symptom but no others.
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