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Types of Autism – Learn the Differences Between Kanner’s Autism, Asperger’s and Rett Syndromes
July 2, 2009
The five types of autism, all of which are neurodevelopmental disorders, all exhibit similar symptoms, but each one is slightly different. The five types of autism are Kanner’s Autism (the most common one), Asperger’s Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified.
Rett Syndrome is the most different from the others. For one thing it favors girls just about entirely, while all other types of autism seem to have more male sufferers. It’s quite rare with only one affected out of every ten to fifteen thousand children. The baby begins to develop normally, but somewhere between six and eighteen months this all changes and the child not only stops progressing but also they begin to regress, losing any of the progress she has made. She will no longer cuddle, and if she had been babbling or even had a few words, she will lose them. She can no longer control her feet and will wring her hands. Researchers do not as of yet understand these last symptoms.
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder is similar in that it too is a regressive disorder. This favors boys and does not begin to show symptoms before three to four years. By this time the child has meet many of their early milestones. They are walking, potty trained, affectionate and will be speaking. They’ll enjoy playing with their peers. Then it will begin without warning and over the space of just a few months all this progress will stop. The child will lose whatever language they have and will no longer be able to control their bowel or bladder. They may begin to have seizures and will usually have a low IQ. This is the most dramatic of all the types of autism as the once sunny smiling child will turn sullen, uncommunicative and lose all they have learned.
Asperger’s is the mildest form of autism. Although this follows all the other symptoms of autism they are in a milder form. Some people say that Asperger’s is autism at a higher functioning level. The child still has impairments, their communication skills often come with difficulty and they are still very awkward in social situations. They usually have a very narrow field of interest and have been compared to “little professors” as children. Although many of their interests are common among children those with Asperger’s will obsess on that which interests them.
Kanner’s autism, commonly referred to as autism disorder, is the most common form of autism. It is believed to affect one child in one hundred and sixty six. This has the three major areas of symptoms; difficulties with social interactions, difficulties with imaginative play and repetitive behavior and difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication.
The final form of autism is Pervasive Developmental Disorder not Otherwise Specified. This is exactly what it sounds like. It is the name used for people who have many of the symptoms of autism but not enough of one kind to be labeled with it and so they are put in this general category. The person may have most of the symptoms, a very few or almost none. It is not a diagnosis of a disorder but merely a term to cover off the symptoms of an unknown neurodevelopmental disorder.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. So do your family a favor and check out the information at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Signs of Autism – Checklist of Symptoms You Can Use to Test Your Child for Autistic Disorder
July 2, 2009
The signs of autism can be identified as various early stages of development. The definition of autism is as a neurodevelopmental disorder with three very definite symptom classes. For a person to be diagnosed with having the signs of autism they must have a certain number of these symptoms. They are broken down into three groups. Signs must be seen, before the child reaches three years old, of unusual behaviors in social situations, language delays or oddities and an inability in normal imaginative play situations. If you are wondering if your child might be autistic review the checklist below, they must have at least six of the below signs, a minimum of two from the first group and one each from the second and third groups.
1.Lack of normal social interaction;
• Inability to use non-verbal social interaction; inability to make eye contact, odd body poses, lack of facial expressions, confusion with gestures.
• Inability to make friends with peers
• Inability to share moments of pleasure. Child does not point to things they like or bring a toy over to share.
• Inability to emotionally give or take
2. Impairments in communication;
• Delayed language, or an inability to speak that does not substitute gestures for language.
• For those who do talk there is still clumsiness in language, an inability to start a conversation or continue one.
• Repetition of a phrase over and over again. This is known as echolalia.
• A lack of imaginative play appropriate for their age.
3. Repetitive behaviors, patterns and routines.
• An intense or repetitive focus on something that is out of proportion to normal interest.
• Need for routines or rituals. A need for structure beyond the normal. Changes being overreacted to.
• Repetitive behaviors like rocking, hand movements, or anything else that are repeated non-stop over a period of time.
• An unusual focus on a part of something. For example the wheels of a toy car or the eyes of a stuffed animal.
If your child has six or more of the above signs of autism then its time to take them to your health care provider. They will do a number of diagnostic tests to determine if your child is autistic. Although a diagnosis of autism can be a shocking outcome to parents, especially as there is no cure, early intervention can go a long way to allowing your child to grow up taking part in the mainstream world of school and life.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. So do your family a favor and check out the information at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Regressive Autism – Sometimes These Symptoms are Diagnosed Incorrectlyas PDD or Schizophrenia
July 2, 2009
Regressive Autism is when a child who has developed normally for the first three to four years of heir lives, meeting all the social, communicative and motor skill milestones, suddenly begins to regress you may be looking at a case of Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. This is a rare and frightening form of regressive autism. Studies have shown that a mere two out of one hundred thousand autistic children will be found to have this condition. And like autism itself this regressive disorder favors the males.
To clarify, this is different than Rett Syndrome, which favors girls, because of the extended phase of normal development. A child with Rett Syndrome begins their regression at no later than eighteen months. A child with Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, CDD, will learn age appropriated communication skills; they will have learned to talk. The child will have had normal social interactions, been cuddly and affectionate. Then it will stop and over a few short months the child will begin to regress and all the things they will have learned will disappear. They will completely lose their vocabulary no matter how developed it was. Their motor skills will suffer, as will their social abilities. They will pull away from the hugs they used to crave.
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder will also show other major symptoms of change. A child who was toilet trained will lose the ability to control their bladder and bowels. Their play will change and may now become more a repetitive process. The imaginative play they used to partake in will disappear. They may begin repetitive gestures like rocking or tip toe walking.
One of things that parents must watch is that sometimes these symptoms are diagnosed incorrectly as pervasive developmental disorder or even schizophrenia. They are neither but instead a very serious disorder that is often accompanied by seizures and a low IQ. Treatment for Childhood Disintegrative Disorder is the same as it is for autism. The prognosis is not a good one, as the loss of functioning does not return. But the child can be helped to cope as best as they can and learn as much as is possible based on their skills.
The causes of this devastating disorder are still unknown. Some research has shown links to the central nervous system, but research is still underway to determine why a child developing normally suddenly stops, and not only loses all they’ve learned but pulls away from normal social interactions with those who love them.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. So do your family a favor and check out the information at Autism Symptoms.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Consists of Five Neurodevelopmental Disorders Including Austism
July 2, 2009
Pervasive developmental disorder is a number of neurodevelopmental disorders classified under one umbrella. They are called either pervasive developmental disorder or, as they are more commonly known, autism spectrum disorders. There are five disorders included in this group. The most common one is known as autistic disorder, or Kanner’s autism, and is considered the most severe. Asperger’s syndrome is the milder form. They both share the same symptoms, verbal and non-verbal communication difficulties, lacking the ability for imaginative play with repetitive play instead and poor social interaction skills.
A third is Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise specified. This one is for all the people who have many of the symptoms of these neurodevelopmental disorders but not enough symptoms to be definitely placed in one category or another. So, as they are not specifically sufferers of either Asperger’s syndrome or Kanner’s autism or either of the regressive autisms, they get lumped into this category.
The regressive autisms are more frightening because the child starts out making normal progress, which then not only stops but also disappears. All the progress made by the child is gone in a short period of time leaving the child to start again and the parent’s completely bewildered. Both of these are very rare but they do occur. Rett Syndrome has another oddity; almost all those that suffer from this disorder are girls. The other autism disorders are more likely to affect boys, though girls do have autism too. The regression with Rett Syndrome begins as early as six months of age and not later than a year and a half. The child stops any of the developmental progress she has made, stops being that cuddly baby and pulls away, then begins to show the signs of autism. She also loses control of her feet and constantly wrings her hands.
The other regressive type of autism is called Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. This is worse to watch as the child meets all their milestones including speaking until they hit the age of three or at the latest four years of age. Then in the space of a few months it’s all lost. They lose their sunny disposition, the ability to talk, and they can no longer control their bowels or bladder despite having already been potty trained. This regression can be very confusing for the child and earth shattering for the parents who watch their smiley child lose all interest in normal physical contact.
No matter which pervasive development disorder your child has early intervention is a must to give them the best chance in life. This should include occupation, speech and physical therapies.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. So do your family a favor and check out the information at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates
Neurodevelopmental Disorders – Does Your Child Have One of These Developmental Disabilities
July 2, 2009
Neurodevelopmental disorders are different from a simple developmental disability. A developmental disability means anything that causes, with an onset during childhood, delays in normal function. These could include, but are not limited to, mental retardation, seizures, or cerebral palsy. The child with a developmental disability will have problems with mobility, learning, self care and/or communication.
Neurodevelopmental disorders mean the specific disorder that causes the disability. This can include, but is not limited to, Autism, Down syndrome, Williams’s syndrome or Fragile X. Of the neurodevelopmental disorders Autism is probably one of the ones most familiar to the general public. It is one of he better know pervasive developmental disorders and has three very distinctive sets of symptoms. These include a lack of imaginative play that is instead replaced by repetitive play, difficulties with spoken communication and non-spoken communication and an inability to have normal social interplay.
Turner’s syndrome is exclusively a condition suffered by girls. It is caused because the X chromosome is either totally or partly missing. Some of the signs of Turner’s are the girls being short and not having normal development as they reach puberty. She may also have kidney or heart deformities. This syndrome can arise in one in twenty five hundred births of girls.
Fragile X can affect boys or girls. A child with this disorder is usually mentally retarded to some degree or at the very least has learning disabilities. They also have social interaction problems and other autistic like symptoms. Interestingly Fragile X will come up once in two thousand male births, but oddly only once in four thousand births of girls.
William’s syndrome is another neurodevelopmental disorder. This one is much more unusual occurring only rarely with one in every twenty-five thousand births. Its characteristics include failure to thrive and slow growth, widely spaced teeth, developmental delays, high blood calcium levels, language and behavioral difficulties, and hyperacusis, which is oversensitivity to loud sounds. Despite these difficulties sufferers of William’s syndrome are known for being very friendly and outgoing.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD, occurs in a surprisingly large number of children. Studies have shown that three to five percent of all school age children suffer from ADHD. The symptoms include difficulty focusing, being distracted easily, impatience, restlessness, difficulty in staying in one place and a host of others that all come down to trouble paying attention. Twenty five percent of children with ADHD also have a parent with it.
No matter which neurodevelopmental disorder a child has early intervention and a good program designed specifically with their special needs in mind is essential to give them the best chance at a full life as they grow.
If you think that there is “something not right” with your child you must find out as soon as possible if autism is the issue. Treatments are less effective with each passing day as we grow older, so find out now with the complete autism resource for determining symptoms and goes into depth about ALL treatment options for autism, natural AND medical. So do your family a favor and check out the information at Autism Symptoms.
You can also make extra money to help pay for treatment and training by telling people about this helpful resource. You earn $26.30 for each book sold, so start making money by clicking Autism Symptoms Affiliates