Information on Autisim

What are the Different Forms of Autisim

There are many different types of autisim, and just as with many things you can't just group all Autistic people into one category. Autisim range of symptoms covers a very large field. It will include autistics who are very near to being dysfunctional and appear to be mentally retarded, to the autistic who shows very mild symptoms, or who has received therapy to control their autistic traits to the point of appearing to be normal to the average person.

Autistic persons will be often categorized between those who have an IQ of less than 80 being categorized as having what is called "low-functioning autism", while the autistic person who's IQ is higher than 80 are categorized as having what would be called "high-functioning autism". This method of categorization is not usually accepted or used by medical professionals when dealing with the autistic person. Normally the terms high or low high functioning autisim are used to describe the level at which the autistic person can perform the daily activities that are a part of living, and related to their IQ level. Within the Autistic community the use of the labels, high functioning autisim, and low functioning autisim, are seen to be highly controversial by many autistics.

Many service providers who serve the autistic community still rely to heavily on a person's IQ, with the ability to function on a daily basis may not work with autistic people who test at a high IQ level, or in the case of a person with a low IQ level fail to acknowledge the potential of many of the autistic people who are diagnosed as having low functioning autisim. With all the information about autisim which is available it is hard to believe, but some within the medical profession still will not recognize autistics who can write or speak as suffering from autisim at all.

This all leads to many with high functioning autisim, as well as the autistic person who has a fairly normal IQ, being left undiagnosed. This furthers the idea that autisim automatically implies mental retardation. Even having said this it should be noted that the number of diagnoses for high functioning autisim are now showing a sharper rise, than those for low functioning autisim. One reason for this may be due to better diagnostic testing for autisim.


Asperger's Syndrome and Kanner's Syndrome

In the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders the biggest difference when comparing Autistic Disorder (Kanner's) and Asperger's Syndrome would be that a Autistic Disorder will include; observed delays or even abnormal levels in at least one and maybe more of the following areas, normally the onset of symptoms of autisim will be before the age 3 years old: The first would be in the area of social interaction, second would be problems with language as used in social settings, or the third area would be in symbolic or imaginative play that would not be considered to be a normal level for the average child. While in Asperger's Syndrome there would only be a slight, to no observed delay noticed.

While the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not really include levels of intellectual function for the diagnosing of Asperger's Syndrome, it is a proven statistical fact that those person's who do have Asperger's Syndrome will as a general rule will tend to out perform those autistics with Kanner's Autisim or Low Functioning Autisim this has led to a popular idea that Asperger's Syndrome can be thought of as being synonymous with high functioning autisim, or that it could be considered as a totally separate disorder from autisim. A popular belief is that those autistic individuals who have a higher level of intellectual function do in fact actually have Asperger's Syndrome.


Autisim as a spectrum disorder

Autisim disorders also come under the heading of autistic spectrum disorders. A closely related disorder would be, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, which would involve just how well a person is able to use the information that they receive from their senses. Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Autism, as well as Asperger's Syndrome, have been found to be closely related and in many cases have been found to overlap each other.

While still subject to much debate, there are some people who believe that there might be two separate scenarios for the timeline for the onset of regular autisim, these would be early infantile autisim and regressive autisim. Early infantile autisim would be present at the time of childbirth, and regressive autisim would begin between the ages of 18 months and 36 months.


Asperger Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorders

Asperger Syndrome or Asperger's Disorder— is one of five neurobiological pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) that is characterized by deficiencies in social and communication skills. It is differentiated from other PDD's in that a person with Asperger Syndrome also has normal or even above normal intelligence, as well as normal language development when compared with persons with classical autism. The diagnosis of Asperger syndrome is further complicated by the lack of a standard diagnostic screen. Asperger Syndrome is diagnosed using several different screening tests as well as different sets of diagnostic criteria. The exact cause of Asperger Syndrome is unknown, and the prevalence is not yet firmly established, due in part to the use of different sets of diagnostic criteria.

Repetitive behaviors was named in honor of Hans Asperger, an Austrian psychiatrist and pediatrician, by researcher Lorna Wing, who first used the eponym in a 1981 paper.[3] In 1994, Asperger Syndrome was recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as Asperger's Disorder.

Asperger Syndrome is normally diagnosed during childhood, but many persons will not be diagnosed until much later, even as late as adults. Assistance for core symptoms of Asperger Syndrome consists of therapies that address poor communication skills, obsessive or repetitive routines, and physical clumsiness. Most individuals with Asperger Syndrome can learn to live with their differences, but many times will continue to need ongoing support in order to maintain an independent lifestyle.

Some Asperger Syndrome Charactaristics are....

*Limited interests or preoccupation with a subject to the exclusion of other activities;

*Repetitive behaviors or rituals

*Peculiarities in speech and language

*Socially and emotionally inappropriate behavior and interpersonal interaction

*Problems with nonverbal communication

*Clumsy and uncoordinated motor movements.

The most common and important characteristics of Asperger Syndrome can be divided into several broad categories:

*social impairments,

*narrow but intense interests,

*and peculiarities of speech and language.

Other features or characteristics are commonly linked with this Asperger Syndrome, but are not always regarded as necessary for diagnosis. Unlike most forms of pervasive developmental disorders or PDDs, Asperger Syndrome is often camouflaged, and many people with the disorder blend in with those that do not have it. The effects of Asperger Syndrome or Asperger's Disorder depend on how an affected individual responds to the syndrome itself.



Autistic Spectrum

The autistic spectrum (sometimes referred to as the autism spectrum) is classified as a developmental and behavioral syndrome that commonly results from a combination of traits. Although these traits may be normally found in the general population, some individuals will ultimately inherit, or otherwise show more autistic traits. At the low end of the spectrum would be low-functioning autism which has severe impairments in many different areas. the next step would be Asperger's Syndrome, as well as high-functioning autism, to "normal" behaviour and even perhaps going as far as hypersocialization which would be on the high end of the spectrum.

In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) and the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10), autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are classified as pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), as opposed to specific developmental disorders like dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, or dyspraxia. Many people who are diagnosed with any of the Autistic Spectrum disorders are found to be much more likely to end up living in poverty if they are left untreated.


Autistic Spectrum and Pervasive Development Disorders

In practice, autistic spectrum disorder and pervasive developmental disorder are synonymous, but making a distinction can be very valuable. Pervasive Development Disorders refers to those psychological and behavioral developmental disorders which encompass many areas of functioning such as:

*language and communication,

*self-help skills,

*motor coordination,

*executive function, and

*scholastic achievement.

The nosological category of pervasive developmental disorders includes syndromes that may be etiologically unrelated to autism, with autistic-like behavior being only one part of the disorder: Rett's syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder

ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders
Some researchers have shown a possible genetic and behavioral connection between ADHD and autism. As a result of this, some clinicians have suggested that ADHD be included under the category of autism spectrum disorders.

The diagnoses of ADHD along with autism spectrum disorder are becoming more common in children. In very young children, ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders symptoms can appear very similar. However, as the child ages, differences will emerge between the two conditions. Children with typical autism will become more socially withdrawn, while when put in a suitable environment, the hyperactivity level reduces substantially. In either event, problems with the child's social skills can develop.

In contrast, the children with ADHD will rarely calm down as they age, but still will often develop normal social and communication skills. Any problems with social skills experienced by children diagnosed with ADHD may prove to have other causes. Examples of this might include low self-esteem, or difficulty with quiet, and constructive social interaction.



Autistic Traits Identified with Austim Spectrum

Autism Spectrum Disorders have certain autistic traits which have been further defined to help identify the autism spectrum. Below is a list of many of the symptoms or traits that are used to identify patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders:

*Social impairment

*Poor ability to make friends

*Social awkwardness

*Indiscriminate social interaction

*Lack of eye contact

*Gullibility

*Lack of observed desire for friendship

*Language impairment

*Odd or monotonous prosody of speech

*Overly formal and pedantic language

*Pronoun reversal

*Visuospatial thinking sometimes preferred

*Use of rote chunks of language

*Late or no development of language

*Poor use and understanding of nonverbal communication (i.e., facial expressions and body language)

*Imaginative impairment and repetitive adherence

*Concrete and literal use of language

*Poor understanding of abstract thought, metaphors and symbolism

*Preference for routine

*Absorption in detail; inability to understand meaning or the whole of a concept

*Perseverative interest or focus

*Sensory Integration Dysfunction

*Hyper- or hyposensitivity of the various senses

*Peculiar clothing and food preferences

*Self-stimulating mannerisms

*Fine or gross motor discoordination

Sensory Integration Dysfunction is a neurological disorder which causes difficulties with the normal processing of information from the five classic senses (vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste), the sense of movement, and/or the positional sense. Sensory information is sensed normally, but is processed abnormally. This should not be considered to be the same as blindness or deafness because, the sensory information is sensed normally but tends to be analyzed by the brain in an unusual way, that may even cause pain or confusion

The number of autistic traits a person shows, is used to determine the severity of autism in the patient. These autistic traits in some cases may prove to be beneficial in some areas of study, like science, mathematics, and engineering, mainly because they require rote memorization, which some autistic individuals might show a marked proficiency in.

Autism will also come under the classification of 'Pervasive Development Disorder. Parents may note symptoms of Pervasive Development Disorder as early as infancy and typically the onset will be before the age of 3 years old. Further diagnostic testing will be required in order to determine which Pervasive Development Disorder the child may have.



High Functioning Autism

High Functioning Autism (HFA) is the name of the condition of individuals who display some of the symptoms of autism, but who are also able to function at a level close to, or above the normal level in society. High Functioning Autism is sometimes also known as Asperger syndrome. In layman terms, those who are affected by High Functioning Autism may be labeled as being "eccentrics", "nerd", "geeks", or termed a "little professor".

The term Asperger Syndrome is sometimes used in the same sense as High Functioning Autism, but the exact difference between Autism, Asperger Syndrome, and High Functioning Autism will vary. There is a wide range of deficiencies, as well as talents found in High Functioning Autism, the precise configuration of which can vary widely between individuals.

There is a high correlation between High Functioning Autism characteristics, and those described in the Myers-Briggs INTP profile [1] description. Another theory states that Asperger Syndrome correlates to the INTJ personality type, whereas High Functioning Autism correlates to the INFJ personality type.

Unfortunately there is evidence that the diagnosis of autism, has wrongly become a catch-all diagnosis for badly-behaved children. In 2000 in the UK, the lead clinician and autism specialist at Northgate and Prudhoe NHS Trust in Morpeth, Dr Tom Berney, published a paper commenting on this. He wrote in the prestigious British Journal of Psychiatry:- "There is a risk of the diagnosis of autism being extended to include anyone whose odd and troublesome personality does not readily fit some other category. Such over-inclusion is likely to devalue the diagnosis to a meaningless label."

There may also be overlap with the label of "intellectually gifted". There is some evidence, largely anecdotal, of instances where children who would previously have been labelled "intellectually gifted" are denied entry to an advanced for-the-gifted educational program - because their case notes give them the broader "autism" label.


Social Aspects of High Functioning Autism

In general, people with High Functioning Autism tend to make fairly frequent social mistakes involving because of their inability to accurately predict someone else's thoughts, feelings or reactions to something, in the same ways as the non autistic person. They may also forget to use many of the basic social pleasantries (e.g. forgetting to knock before entering a room; or when greeted with "how are you?" they may not reciprocate by following on to ask how the other person is).

Another problem they face would be their naive understanding of social interaction may cause them to be overly trusting of all people and thus, more vulnerable to being manipulated by others. They may then be considered as lacking "common sense". This is one reason it can prove to be a major disaster if youth services departments go on to create large "treatment" groups that will place the vulnerable, and young High Functioning Autism person alongside amoral and manipulative youths, who suffer with psychopathic disorders.

The autistic person may appear somewhat removed or disconnected at times, especially when placed in situations where they experience sensory overload, or when they are placed in settings of extreme social pressure, such as during a party, or in a crowded bar. Additionally, they may make only limited levels of eye contact, even during one-on-one encounters, which can then lead to them being labelled as being "shy" by non autistics.

Unlike autism, there is no general learning disability with High Functioning Autism . The research community recognises that High Functioning Autism does not happen in people with an IQ of less than about 75 (i.e.: able to complete elementary school and live independently in modern society). People with High Functioning Autism are usually very articulate - the DSM IV says that spoken language development must be normal for a diagnosis to be made.

People with High Functioning Autism normally will like routine and order. These traits may be seen as early as childhood (e.g.: as a child, writing out a A-Z library card-index catalog for their comic book collection). They may also limit their daily choice of clothing to only a select few choices.

When a person with High Functioning Autism is interested in a particular task or subject area, they will often work on it intently. If uninterested or they lose interest for some reason, they may just ignore the task all together, or maybe try to change it to reflect one of their personal interests, or perhaps only do the "bare minimum" required to complete the task. With High Functioning Autism, the preferred method of working may be to produce a complete rough structure, or draft first, and then to focus intently on taking it through many incremental revisions until the task is completed.


This information is taken from the following site :

http://www.answers-about-autism.info/high-functioning-autism-defined.html