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| a.
What is Autism? |
| b.
Prevalence of Autism |
| c.
Common Characteristics of Autism |
| d.
What Causes Autism? |
| e.
Diagnosing Autism |
| f.
Diagnostic Tools |
| g.
Consulting with Professionals |
| h.
Getting Past the Diagnosis |
| i.
Is it Autism? Diagnosing Autism, PDD, or
Asperger's Disorder |
| j.
Autistic Disorder |
| k.
Rett's Disorder |
| l.
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder |
| m.
Asperger's Disorder |
| n.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise
Specified (Including Atypical Autism) |
| o.
Asperger Syndrome |
| Is
it Autism? Diagnosing Autism, PDD, or Asperger's
Disorder |
The term "PDD" is widely
used by professionals to refer to
children with autism and related disorders;
however, there is a great deal of
disagreement and confusion among professionals
concerning the PDD label. Diagnosis
of PDD, Autism, or any other developmental
disability, is based upon the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
- Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), published
by the American Psychiatric Association,
Washington D.C., 1994, the main diagnostic
reference of Mental Health professionals
in the United States of America.
According to the DSM-IV, the term
"PDD" is not a specific
diagnosis, but an umbrella term under
which the following specific diagnoses
are defined:
- Autistic Disorder
- Rett's Disorder
- Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
- Asperger's Disorder
- Pervasive Developmental Disorder
Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
Diagnostic labels are used to indicate
commonalities among individuals. The
diagnosis of autism indicates that
qualitative impairments in communication,
social skills, and range of interests
and activities exist. As no medical
tests can be performed to indicate
the presence of autism or any other
PDD, the diagnosis is based upon the
presence or absence of specific behaviors.
For example, a child may be diagnosed
as having PDD-NOS if he or she has
some behaviors that are seen in autism,
but does not meet the full criteria
for having autism. Most importantly,
whether a child is diagnosed with
PDD, PDD-NOS, or autism, his or her
treatment will be similar.
Autism is a spectrum disorder, with
symptoms ranging from mild to severe.
As a spectrum disorder, the level
of developmental delay is unique to
the individual. If a diagnosis of
PDD-NOS is made, rather than autism,
the diagnosticians should clearly
specify the behaviors present. Evaluation
reports are more useful if they are
specific and become more helpful for
parents and professionals in later
years when reevaluations are conducted.
Ideally, a multidisciplinary team
of professionals should evaluate a
child suspected of having autism.
The team may include, but may not
be limited to, a psychologist or psychiatrist,
speech pathologist, and other medical
professionals including a developmental
pediatrician or neurologist. Parents
and teachers also have important information
to share when determining a child's
diagnosis.
In the end, parents should be more
concerned that their child find the
appropriate educational treatment
rather than spending too much effort
to find the perfect diagnostic label.
Most often, programs designed for
children with autism will benefit
children with PDD, and sometimes the
use of the PDD label can keep a child
from obtaining much needed services.
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| Autistic
Disorder |
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A total of six (or more) items from (1),
(2), and (3), with at least two from (1),
and one each from (2) and (3):
(1) qualitative impairment in social interaction,
as manifested by at least two of the following:
- Marked impairment in the use of multiple
nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye
gaze,
- facial
expression, body postures, and gestures
to regulate social interaction
- Failure to develop peer relationships
appropriate to developmental level
- A lack of spontaneous seeking to share
enjoyment, interests, or achievements
with other
- people
(e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing,
or pointing out objects of interest)
- Lack of social or emotional reciprocity
(2) qualitative impairments in communication
as manifested by at least one of the following:
- Delay in, or total lack of, the development
of spoken language (not accompanied by
an
- attempt
to compensate through alternative modes
of communication such as gestures or
- mime )
- In individuals with adequate speech,
marked impairment in the ability to initiate
or sustain
- a conversation
with others
- Stereotyped and repetitive use of language
or idiosyncratic language
- Lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe
play or social imitative play appropriate
to
- developmental
level
(3) restricted repetitive and stereotyped
patterns of behavior, interests, and activities,
as manifested by at least one of the following:
- Encompassing preoccupation with one
or more stereotyped patterns of interest
that is
- abnormal
either in intensity or focus
- Apparently inflexible adherence to specific,
nonfunctional routines or rituals
- Stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms
(e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting,
or
- complex
whole-body movements)
- Persistent preoccupation with parts
of objects
B. Delays or abnormal functioning in at
least one of the following areas, with
onset prior to age 3 years:
- Social interaction
- Language as used in social communication
- Symbolic or imaginative play.
C. The disturbance is not better accounted
for by Rett's Disorder or Childhood Disintegrative
Disorder .
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| Rhett's
Disorder |
A. All of the following:
- Apparently normal prenatal and perinatal
development
- Apparently normal psychomotor development
through the first 5 months after birth
- Normal head circumference at birth
B. Onset of all of the following after the
period of normal development:
- Deceleration of head growth between ages
5 and 48 months
- Loss of previously acquired purposeful
hand skills between ages 5 and 30 months
with the
- subsequent
development of stereotyped hand movements
(e.g., hand-wringing or hand
- washing)
- Loss of social engagement early in the
course (although often social interaction
develops
- later)
- Appearance of poorly coordinated gait
or trunk movements
- Severely impaired expressive and receptive
language development with severe
- psychomotor
retardation
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| Childhood
Disintegrative Disorder |
A. Apparently normal development for at
least the first 2 years after birth as manifested
by the presence of age-appropriate verbal
and nonverbal communication, social relationships,
play, and adaptive behavior.
B.
Clinically significant loss of previously
acquired skills (before age 10 years)
in at least two of the following areas:
- Expressive or receptive language
- Social skills or adaptive behavior
- Bowel or bladder control
- Play
- Motor skills
C.
Abnormalities of functioning in at least
two of the following areas:
- Qualitative impairment in social interaction
(e.g., impairment in nonverbal behaviors,
- failure
to develop peer relationships, lack of
social or emotional reciprocity)
- Qualitative impairments in communication
(e.g. , delay or lack of spoken language,
- inability
to initiate or sustain a conversation,
stereotyped and repetitive use of language,
- lack of
varied make-believe play)
- Restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped
patterns of behavior, interests, and activities,
- including
motor stereotypies and mannerisms
D.
The disturbance is not better accounted
for by another specific Pervasive Developmental
Disorder or by Schizophrenia.
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Source:
Autism Society of America
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© 2004 - 2010 TRAILS CENTER FOR CHILDREN
INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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