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Disorders has been discovered in recent years. Autism
spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a family of
neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by not
the usual type of expected patterns in social
interaction, communication, and range of interests and
activities. While this profile is general for the ASD
population, much variation actually exists. No two
individuals exhibit the same symptoms of this disorder.

In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control reported that

1 in 150 children are diagnosed with autism. Boys
outnumber girls four to one.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)

Pervasive developmental disorders (PDD

refers to a group of five disorders characterized by
delays in the development of multiple basic functions
including socialization and communication.

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The Autism Spectrum – a Layman’s Guide to the World of Autistic Disorders | Hear Our Voices

Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise

specified (PDD-NOS), which includes atypical autism,
and is the most common; Autism, the best-known;
Asperger syndrome;

Rett syndrome; and Childhood disintegrative disorder

(CDD).

The label PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder) is

poorly understood, uninformative, confusing, and
disliked. PDD-NOS is often incorrectly referred to as
simply “PDD.” The term PDD refers to the class of
conditions to which autism belongs. PDD is not itself a
diagnosis, while PDD-NOS is a diagnosis. To further
complicate the issue, PDD-NOS can also be referred
to as “atypical personality development,” “atypical
PDD,” or “atypical Autism”.

In the Autism Research Review International (ARRI)

(1991, Vol. 5, No. 2), a summary of a statement,
signed by 16 prominent European and U.S.
professionals in the field of autism, titled “Autism is not
necessarily a pervasive developmental disorder.” The
authors indicated that even though the expression
PDD was introduced more than a decade ago, it is
unfamiliar not only to lay people, but to most people
who are aware only of term autism. The article
concludes that the term “pervasive” is mostly
unacceptable. Autism, they indicate, is not a pervasive
disorder but is in fact a distinct one, characterized by
deficits in social and cognitive performance.

As a matter of concern, this ambiguous and

inappropriate use of the word PDD poses a problem:
children and adults with autism adversely tagged with
the PDD label have continuously been excluded from
programs and services for those with autism, which
would greatly benefit them.

There are many more children with autistic-like

disorders than there are children with autism itself.
The real definition should be “children with severe
disorders of communication, socialization and
behavior.” The need for an encompassing title for this
group was evident even then.

Of the various labels that have been recommended,

the one that is the most accepted is “autism spectrum
disorder,” which was first recommended by Wing and
Gould in 1979. This terminology acknowledges that
autism is comprised of a series of disorders that is not

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The Autism Spectrum – a Layman’s Guide to the World of Autistic Disorders | Hear Our Voices

yet known to us.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

This is the main condition that typically goes by the

name of “autism.” Unfortunately, many people use the
word autism to refer to both the entire autism
spectrum and the specific disorder.

Although autistic disorder is a diagnosis, it is a broad

one. There are so many differences within the
diagnosis that the label itself means little. It is much
more helpful to describe each child’s distinctive
pattern of developmental strengths and weaknesses.

Asperger’s Syndrome

Asperger’s syndrome is a developmental disorder in

which people have severe difficulties understanding
how to interact socially.

People with Asperger’s syndrome have some traits of

autism, very poor social skills and a tendency for
sameness and habit.

However, unlike those with autism, children with

Asperger’s syndrome typically start to talk around 2
years of age. They have normal to above-normal
intelligence, as regular children do.

On average, these children have normal speech, but

they have many “autistic” social and behavioral
problems.

Related autism disorders

In the last five to eight years, research has shown that

many people who engage in autistic behaviors have
related but distinct disorders. These include:
Asperger Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome,
Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, Rett Syndrome,
and Williams Syndrome. Asperger Syndrome is
characterized by concrete and literal thinking,
obsession with certain topics, excellent memories, and
being ‘eccentric.’ These individuals are considered
high-functioning and are capable of holding a job and
of living independently.

Fragile X Syndrome is a form of mental

retardation in which the long arm on the X
chromosome is constricted. Roughly 15% of people

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The Autism Spectrum – a Layman’s Guide to the World of Autistic Disorders | Hear Our Voices

with Fragile X Syndrome show evidence of autistic

behaviors. These behaviors consist of: delay in
speech/language, hyperactivity, poor eye contact, and
hand-flapping. The majority of these individuals
function at a mild to moderate level. As they grow
older, their unique physical facial features may
become more prominent (e.g., elongated face and
ears), and they may develop heart problems.

People with Landau-Kleffner Syndrome also

exhibit many autistic behaviors, such as social
withdrawal, persistence on sameness, and language
problems. These individuals are often thought of as
having ‘regressive’ autism because they appear to be
normal until sometime between ages 3 and 7. They
often have good language skills in early childhood but
gradually lose their ability to talk. They also have
abnormal brain wave patterns which can be diagnosed
by analyzing their EEG pattern during an extended
sleep period.

Rett Syndrome is a degenerative disorder which

affects mostly females and usually develops between
1/2 to 1 1/2 years of age. Some of their characteristic
behaviors include: loss of speech, repetitive hand-
wringing, body rocking, and social withdrawal. Those
individuals suffering from this disorder may be
severely to predominantly intellectually challenged.

Williams Syndrome is characterized by several

autistic behaviors including: developmental and
language delays, sound sensitivity, attention deficits,
and social problems. In contrast to many autistic
individuals, those with Williams Syndrome are quite
sociable and have heart problems.

Causes

While there is no known distinctive cause of autism,

there is increasing proof that autism can be caused by
a series of problems. There is some indication of a
genetic influence in autism. There is a greater
likelihood that identical twins will have autism than
fraternal twins. In the case identical twins, there is a
100% overlap in genes; whereas in fraternal twins,
there is a 50% overlap in genes, the same overlap as
in non-twin siblings. Currently, a great deal of
research has focused on locating the ‘autism gene;’
however, many researchers speculate that three to
five genes will likely be associated with autism. There
is also evidence that the genetic link to autism may be

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The Autism Spectrum – a Layman’s Guide to the World of Autistic Disorders | Hear Our Voices

a weakened or compromised immune system. Other

research has shown that depression and/or dyslexia
are quite common in one or both sides of the family
when autism is present.

There is also evidence that a virus can cause autism.

There is an increased risk in having an autistic child
after exposure to rubella during the first trimester of
the pregnancy. Moreover, there is also an increasing
fear by parents that viruses associated with
vaccinations, such as the measles component of the
MMR vaccine and the pertussis component of the
DPT shot may cause autism. However, there is no
known research that supports this assumption.

There is mounting concern that toxins and pollution in

the environment can also lead to autism. There is a
high prevalence of autism in some parts of California,
various areas in Queens and Staten Island, as well as
certain parts of New Jersey. Several agencies are
now attempting to uncover the reasons for the high
percentage of autism in this community, which may be
related to environmental conditions.

What is the Outlook?

Intervention has a direct impact on outcome–typically,

the earlier a child is treated, the better the diagnosis
will be. In recent years there has been a noticeable
increase in the proportion of children who can attend
school in a typical classroom and live semi-
independently in community settings. However, the
majority of individuals with autism remain impaired in
their ability to communicate and socialize.

Autism cases have risen mostly because doctors now

apply a broader definition of the disorder and have
better diagnostic tools. Autism remains a mystery and
there are still many unanswered questions that
remain. Hopefully some of the information contained
here offers a better understanding of autism and its
many sub categories and provides more meaningful
insight into this dreaded disorder.

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