Five Autism Types Explained
by Rachel Evans
Autism used to be the term used for anyone with that particular
condition. Today, there are several different sub categories for
different levels of disability or function. No two children diagnosed
will be the same, but there will be many things that they do have in
common. With some high functioning autistics most people may not even be
aware that they have autism, while others need assistance in almost any
part of life, and they are obviously living a very different life than
other children. More is being discovered about each of these different
autism types as time goes on.
Asperger's Disorder
This type of autism is something that you hear more and more about.
These children are often misdiagnosed at first, and are thought to have
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or perhaps Attention Deficit Disorder.
These children are very unskilled with social interactions and have
problems with communicating. They have repetitive motions, and are
fixated on patterns of all types. They can have above average language
skills, though they don't use them well in social situations. They are
often clumsy, as motor skills are under developed. Those with Asperger's
are thought to have a talent that they focus on almost exclusively, and
are considered to be highly intelligent. Recent findings indicate that
Albert Einstein may have had this condition.
Kanner's Syndrome (classic autistic disorder)
This particular type of autism was named after a Dr. Kanner. He
described and studied it in the 1930s and into the 1940s. This is the
well-known type of this condition that is very common. Those with
Kanner's have very limited emotional connection with anyone, and they
are very into their own little world. They want everything to be the
same all of the time, and this includes routine (sometimes down to the
exact minute) clothing, food, and television shows or movies. They can
be deeply effected by noises, bright lights and smells. They are
generally considered to be low functioning, but how well their mind
works is largely unknown because of extremely poor social and
communication skills.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder--Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
This term is used to describe children who have most of the same
symptoms as classic autism. They will need the same interventions and
help that autistic children require. The differences between PDD-NOS and
autism are minor and usually only obvious to researchers and doctors.
Rett's Syndrome
Rett's is a rare and relatively little-known type of autism, and it
seems to only happen in girls. This branch of autism was first described
by Dr. Rett. These patients often have problems with muscle atrophy,
and tend to do repetitive hand motions. They area almost always mentally
retarded to some degree. These girls are very low functioning and will
need care for most of their lives. This particular type of autism has
been diagnosed since the sixties, but in the late 1990s a gene that
might cause this condition was found.
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
This is also thankfully pretty rare and something that strikes children
who appear to have normal development from birth. Usually between two
and four years of age this changes. These children begin to regress, and
often do not potty train. They will lose the will and the ability to
interact with other children, and will lose an interested in play. They
will also have problem with the motor skills that were something they at
one time had mastered. They will stop talking, or their communication
skills will regress to some degree.
Though there are more autism types out there, these tend to be the most
common. They are all things that take parents by surprise, and each
comes with their own set of difficulties. Most children will need to be
cared for long after their peers have established independence, even
though the will to be on their own is very strong.
