The term “autism” is often used most commonly used to describe any one of the 5 different types of pervasive developmental disorders. These pervasive developmental disorders are collectively known as “autism spectrum disorders.” There are many theories about how these disorders relate to one another. While some researchers believe that they are all separate disorders with similar symptoms, other researchers say that there is a “spectrum” of severity that ranges from extremely mild to incapacitating. In the most severe cases of autism, the one inflicted will not be able to function and live independently.

 

Autism is a chronic brain disorder that manifests in developmental difficulties in the areas of social interaction, verbal skills and communication. If your child is autistic, he is likely to have repetitive and narrow interests. In addition, he finds it hard to cope with changes in schedules and environment. He can react violently when any changes occur or if there is a disruption to his normal schedule.
Unfortunately, it is not known what causes autism but some scientists and researchers believe that it is a genetic abnormality. Yet others say that it is caused by an injury to the brain or exposure to an environmental toxin. This can be supported by the fact that in some population areas, autism is at higher rates of incidence than it is elsewhere.

 

You may start observing some odd developmental problems of your child between the ages of 12 and 36 months old. It may be that your child is not hitting some milestones with underdeveloped or delay in speech and communication skills. You may also begin to notice that his social interactions are poor. However, if your child only has mild autism, you may not be able to detect that anything is wrong until he enters school. In some cases, your child may go undiagnosed until he reaches middle school, which is when social and communication skills become more important.

If you have an autistic child, you may fear that his disorder may worsen over the years. However, research shows that autism is non-progressive, meaning that it does not get worse in time.

 

The 5 types of pervasive developmental disorders include:

 

1. Autism. Autism's symptoms can be recognized before a child turns 3-years-old. However, it may be diagnosed much later than this. If your child is diagnosed with autism he will have difficulty making or maintaining eye contact, have disturbances in his social functioning and be overwhelmingly absorbed with himself.

 

2. Asperger Syndrome. Asperger Syndrome is similar to autism in that it tends to show up before your child turns 3 years old. However, your child will be able to function at a higher level than an autistic child. Your child can still have difficulties with social functioning, communication and speech. He will also be easily absorbed with narrowly defined interests. But with some therapy and help, most Asperger children are able to live independently when they get older.

 

3. Rett syndrome. Some doctors would argue that Rett syndrome is not a type of autism. However, there are still doctors who do think that this is a form of autism. This syndrome almost exclusively afflicts girls. Usually your child will develop normally for 6 to 18 months and then show a remarkable loss of skills in such areas as speech and the ability to control her hands and her feet. This syndrome can be tested for with an 80% accuracy rate.

 

4. Childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD). CDD takes place a little later. It happens after your child turns 2 to 4 years before showing a marked degeneration in his social, physical, mental and verbal skills. This long period of normal development below the age of 2 is what makes the difference between autism and CDD.

 

5. Pervasive developmental disorder. Your child is diagnosed with a pervasive developmental disorder if he is found to have impairments in social interaction, stereotyped behaviour and communication. However, this disorder would only apply if he is not within any of the above other 4 mentioned categories.