Autism Spectrum Disorder
Introduction
If you asked a person on the street if they heard about autism, they would most likely say yes, but if you asked that same person to describe it, few would be able to provide you with an accurate description. They might be able to list some aspects that an autistic child or person might possess, but few would truly know what autism looks like. Even fewer would know that autism is just one of the few diagnoses that are under the umbrella of autism spectrum disorder. If a child or person is diagnosed with ASD, it may be for autism, Asperger's, childhood disintegrative, Rett's, or pervasive developmental disorder. Autism spectrum disorders affect three different areas of a child's life:
- Social interaction
- Communication-- both verbal and non verbal
- Behaviors and interests
Asperger's Syndrome
According to WebMD, Asperger's Syndrome is the mildest form of autism. Click on this link to see a video of famous people in history that might have been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in their day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puDGGpiaUyA.
Children with Asperger's tend to have normal to above average intelligence and think very logically. These types of children become obsessively interested in a single topic or object and often learn all about their obsessive interest. This may lead to constant discussion about it, making a child with AS have difficulty socializing appropriately with their peers. Other social impairments that are common with Asperger's is not interpreting the facial expressions and body language of the person they are engaged with. Other characteristics of someone with Asperger's are finding it hard to make small talk and not enjoying imaginative story-writing due to being literal thinkers. Due to repetitive routines providing security, children with Asperger's can not handle sudden changes which make them high risk for anxiety and depression. Boys are diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome three times more often than girls.
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)
This is the most severe autism spectrum disorder, but thankfully, it is the least common. Children with childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD) experience a period of normal development, usually between the ages of two and four. Children with CDD lose intellectual abilities and may develop seizure disorders. Once a child with CDD experiences severe impairments, they will not recover those lost functions. Boys are affected by CDD more than girls.
Rett's Syndrome
Rett syndrome is rare and usually caused by a genetic mutation. Children begin displaying characteristics of Rett syndrome between the age of 6 and 18 months. The child stops responding socially, wrings their hands habitually, and loses language skills. Coordination becomes an issue and may become severe. Their head growth slows down drastically and is far below normal by two years old. Girls are almost exclusively diagnosed with it. Research is being done to hopefully reverse this disorder. Click on the link to watch a brief video about this research and a girl's story about Rett syndrome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P86kUPBO2U
Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)
Children whose autism is more than Asperger's syndrome but not as severe as autistic disorder are diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder. A child with PDD displays characteristics in comparison to autistic disorder and Asperger's syndrome. Children with PDD have impaired social interaction, better language skills than kids with autistic disorder but not as good as those with Asperger's syndrome, and fewer repetitive behaviors than children with Asperger's syndrome or autistic disorder. The characteristics of PDD have a later age of onset.
Autism Disorder
This is the main focus of this mini course. The rest of the units in this mini course will cover what autism is, how to diagnosis a child, interventions provided, signs and symptoms, treatments and therapies, and strategies used inside and outside of the classroom.
Conclusion
Answer the following questions:
- What are the differences of each type of diagnosis under Autism Spectrum Disorder?
- What diagnosis/diagnoses have you encountered?
- What was the most memorable thing(s) that you learned from this unit?
Move unto the next unit where you will learn more about autistic disorder
Links
Return to:
ETAP 623 Fall 2014 taught by Byrne Systematic Design of Instruction
Skip to:
Unit 3: How do we diagnosis someone for Autism?
Unit 4: What are the possible treatments and therapies used for someone with Autism?
Unit 5: What strategies can be used for someone with Autism inside and outside of the classroom?