Autism also known as autism spectrum disorder is of different types. Different types of autism have different symptoms. The treatment options are more or less same. Identifying the types of autism is the first step in treating autism. Read on to know the types of autism.
We have heard the term ‘autism’ millions of times. It has become a very commonly heard disorder in children. In the past recent years, we are getting more and more familiar with autism as the media has covered the issue perfectly. Autism is a brain disorder which affects the development of the child.
Autism impairs the child’s communication skills, social skills and causes repetitive and restricted behaviour. It affects children in their first three years of life. This disorder is known as autism spectrum disorder. There are different types of autism which are different in every child.
So why is it called a spectrum? Which are the different types of autism? Autism, a spectrum disorder means that a child can be high functioning, another kid can be moderate and another can be low functioning. Autism spectrum disorder is a term used to refer Pervasive Developmental Disorders, or PDD. Autism is one of the types of PDD. People know about autism because it is known worldwide. Here are a few types of autism spectrum disorders.
Autism
Autism is also known as autism spectrum disorder or ASD and classical autism. Autism is a disorder which affects the development of the child by impairing its social and communicative skills and behaviour. Mental retardation and seizures could also affect the child along with autism.
Some autistic children are hyper or hypo sensitive to light, sound and touch. These children form a repetitive behavioural pattern. However, it is seen that autistic people are intellectual and intelligent too. They are very clever but cannot express it due to autism.
Asperger’s Syndrome
This type of autism is a mild one. Asperger’s syndrome is also known as ‘high functioning autism’. Children affected with this disorder often face problems in socialising with people and their social skills are weak. They also fail to pick up on social cues which are a form of body language. Such children get obsessed with a particular toy or item or topic. They take keen interest in gathering all the required knowledge about their favourite subject. There are higher chances for such children to suffer from depression and anxiety in their adulthood.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
The diagnostician diagnoses a child to have the pervasive development disorder when its symptoms are more severe than Asperger’s syndrome and less serious than the autistic disorder. Some of the symptoms of this disorder match up with the symptoms of autism.
However, doctors say that pervasive developmental disorder is not autism. Children suffering from PDD-NOS show symptoms like impaired social skills like autistic children. But, as compared to autistic children these children show less repetitive behaviours. Their language skills are also better than autistic children. However, for diagnosing PDD-NOS there is no agreed upon criteria.
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder or CDD
This is a rare form of autism spectrum disorder. This disorder affects the child after a normal development of two years after birth. Children between the ages of 3-4 years get affected with it. Until this age the child learns social and communication skills appropriate for his age, but the onset of this disorder causes the child to lose all his previously acquired skills. The child may become less expressive, may face language difficulty, hampered motor and social skills, changed behaviour, uncontrolled bladder and bowel functions, very low IQ and seizures.
Rett Syndrome
Rett syndrome is another rare form of autism spectrum disorder. It affects females more than males. After a normal growth of five months the child exhibits autism symptoms. It starts refraining from social contact. Its mental and social development relapses. The child stops responding to family and parents, after talking for sometime it stops suddenly, twists its hands and loses control over feet movement.
These are the various types of autism spectrum disorders which can be observed in children as well as in adults. Early diagnosis and treatment can help children as well as adults to overcome autism easily. There are lot of people who cope with autism and overcome it without any hassle. Therefore, it is necessary to be positive and cope with autism with patience.
