The Different Kinds of Autism

Contrary to what some people may believe, autism is not a type of mental retardation, but rather a complex neurobehavorial disorder that affects a person's development, language, communication skills and social skills. Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning that there are several classifications of the disorder. It can range from the very mild, allowing a person to lead a very normal life, all the way to very severe cases which necessitate institutional care.
Here's a look at the different types of autism spectrum disorders:
Autistic Disorder- This is what people commonly think of when they hear the term "autism." This diagnosis refers to problems with communication, social interaction and imaginative play in kids younger than three. It's usually diagnosed during a child's toddler years and symptoms can range from mild to severe.
Asperger's Syndrome- People with this type tend to have excellent language skills and average or above-average intelligence and do well on standardized tests. However, they lack social skills and aren't able to interact with their peers in a usual manner. It's a mild form of autism and children are able to do well in school, but have troubles with classmates due to the diagnosed child's awkward, sometimes odd, behaviors. Sometimes people aren't diagnosed with Asperger's until they're teens or adults. With specialized training, these people can lead typical lives and be active members of society.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)- Also called atypical autism, this type is a miscellaneous category for people who don't clearly fit into one of the other, more defined, categories. People who fit this category have one or more traits of a few autistic categories but don't meet the criteria for any one diagnosis.
Rett Syndrome- This is found only in girls, but quite rare. Children with this type of autism develop normally for several years, and then their communication skills and social skills begin to regress. Between the ages of 1 and 4, they discontinue using their hands purposefully, and begin to make repetitive hand movements instead.
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)- This is a rare type of autism. Children with this disorder develop normally for the first two years of life and then start to lose most of their motor, language, social, communication and potty skills.
Autism tends to run in families, and is found in people of all nationalities, races and socioeconomic levels. Researchers believe that certain types of genes predispose a child to the disorder. It's very rare that the disorder can be diagnosed at birth, but one is typically made before the child enters school.

MyReviewsNow.net offers information regarding autism awareness. For more on supporting research for autism, please visit us at MyReviewsNow.net.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cookie_Maxwell

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7583195

Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Consists of Five Neurodevelopmental Disorders Including Austism

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

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Boyd

Activities for Autistic Children 2012

Autism is one disorder out of the group of Austism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs); the other two are pervasive developmental disorder (PDD)and Asperger syndrome. Autism is a neural development disorder which affects the person's communication and social interaction. It is characterized by repetitive and restrictive behavior. The disorder affects how the person's nerve cells and synapses organize and connect. Autism is usually noticed and diagnosed within the first five years of a child's life.
There are many activities for autistic children that a parent or caregiver can provide. These activities help desensitize the child to things that previously would have been overwhelming: scents, textures, sounds, light, and tastes.
Autistic kids will often tap their ears, snap their fingers, or retreat to a place that is quiet; often they do this to block or hide away from sounds that are hurting or overwhelming them. One activity you can do with an autistic child is to make musical shakers.This works to both help the child become used to loud noises, and can also help with desensitizing the child toward certain textures. These type of play can be used as activities for autistic children.
Collect different containers you can use for shakers: salt and pepper shakers, paper towel rolls, plastic soda containers, and coffee cans. Next, gather materials to place inside the containers: dried beans, dried peas, dried pasta, dried rice, dried popcorn, coins, and other small, hard items. Make sure to supervise children who have a tendency to put things in their mouths. Activities for children with autism help the child to become used to loud sounds, strange textures, and allow them to create artwork or music, all at once.
Wash and dry all of the containers, and then let the child pick out which container to use. Offer construction paper so he or she can decorate the outside. Next, experiment with tactile sensations: have the child reach into each bowl and feel the texture of each item. Ask what he or she thinks it will sound like when the items are placed into the container. Finally, allow the child to pick which item to listen to first and fill the container about a third to half-way with the item (rice, macaroni, pennies, etcetera) and fasten the lid tightly.
Do the same thing for each item; place each group into its own container and allow the child to shake each one in turn. Ask the child which container makes the "best" sound and ask why it's best. In turn, ask which one makes the "worst" sound - this will help you identify which sounds are most irritating and you can work on these in the future with other activities for autistic children.

For further PRICELESS resources to help you better cope and handle child autism and enable your child to feel loved and conquer any obstacles VISIT.
autismininfants.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_P_Parker

Informative Positive Approaches to Autistic Spectrum Disorders and Dyspraxia

Virtually everyone in our community is somehow connected to Autism Spectrum Disorders. Through a classmate, a family member, friend, or neighbor most of us know at least one individual living "on the spectrum".Autism is a severe developmental disorder that begins at birth or within the first two-and-a-half years of life. Dyspraxia is a condition, generally present in early childhood, that affects motor skills. Occasionally, dyspraxia can be caused by traumatic brain injury, but in most cases, the cause is unknown. Specific statistics on how many people are affected by dyspraxia are difficult to find because the condition is often undiagnosed. Estimates range from 2% to 10% of the population. Males make up about 70-80% of diagnosed cases.
Most autistic children are perfectly normal in appearance, but spend their time engaged in puzzling and disturbing behaviors which are markedly different from those of typical children. Less severe cases may be diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) or with Asperger's Syndrome (these children typically have normal speech, but they have many "autistic" social and behavioral problems). Autism affects about 1 in every 150 kids, but no one knows what causes it. Some scientists think that some kids might be more likely to get autism because it or similar disorders run in their families. Knowing the exact cause of autism is hard because the human brain is very complicated.
A person with ASD may have difficulty empathising (understanding the thoughts and feelings of others or seeing the world from someone else's perspective). Because of this, they may sometimes make assumptions or say things which appear strange, rude or insensitive. It is very likely that it is not their intention to cause upset. Always stay positive with ASD children Being reliable is very important. Empathise with the issue that someone with ASD may be easily upset by unpredictable change and take simple steps to avoid this wherever possible (eg a post it note on a door to advise of a room change). If they say something that you would interpret as being rude, over familiar, or intrusive, be aware that they may not realise that their comment is inappropriate. Always get to know the individual first before communicating a certain way with them.

To a positive approach on autism click here [http://www.squidoo.com/Autistic-Spectrum-Disorders-and-Dyspraxia-]!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nichol_Haskins

There Are Benefits to High Functioning Autism

For a long time, doctors and specialists believed that autism was a general condition, but because of special funding researchers have begun to learn a lot about this disorder, including that there are many types of autism, among which is a disorder called high functioning autism.
High functioning autism is a condition that falls within the autism category, but children who experience this type of condition, only experience mild symptoms of autism. Normally they can interact socially and only have small social impairments. People who experience high functioning autism can often be misdiagnosed with Aspergers syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder.
Children who suffer from high functioning autism will have only some problems when trying to communicate with others, you may also distinguish the disorder by small movements and kids will want a certain routine and feel lost without it.
Having your child diagnosed with autism can be heart breaking but if he is diagnosed with high functioning autism then there are advantages. The first thing you want to do is get the right kind of help. A lot of the symptoms of high functioning autism can be corrected and reversed but you need to teach your child how to do that, and you need the help of a pediatric neurologist and a child psychologist to do that.
Research has shown that there are certain therapies that will allow your child to have a normal life. This therapy will teach them how to interact socially, learn communication skills, and control their motor behavior. Some Doctors may prescribe medications to control the child's anxiety and hyperactivity while he is learning. This is why it is so important to seek help from specialists in the field.
A person is diagnosed with high functioning autism when the symptoms are not severe. These children are just as intelligent as others that are the same age and sometimes even more intelligent. They can use vocabulary to express themselves but their learning comprehension falls behind other children. They are not able to express emotional detail or interpret non verbal instructions or cues.
Beware of Aspergers! Many doctors tend to confuse high functioning autism with Asperger's Syndrome because many of the symptoms are similar. But there is a difference between the two, and they need to be treated in different manners.
There isn't a set definition for what is high functioning autism and it is difficult for doctors to diagnose. Doctors use different testing methods, but some use IQ tests to help them with their diagnosis, although this is not really an adequate testing method because IQ tests have many elements that autistic children struggle with. They will also determine the level of autism by the way the child uses language, and the way he behaves. It is important that you find physicians that are very experienced with autism and can diagnose it well.

Find more information on health topics at http://www.mbceo.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Baker