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Click on a disorder to jump to it's description!
Autism? Rett's Syndrome? PDD-NOS? What on earth do these disorders mean? Well, that is why you came here, right? We will give you an overview of the disorder, and, if you want to do more research, we compiled a list of websites that deal with these disorders.
While we describe the disorders, remember that each characteristic associated with the disorder may not be present in every child.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a term for five different disorders all of which share several base traits. PDD-NOS, Asperger Syndrome, Childhood Disintigrative Disorder, Autism, and Rett's Syndrome are all diagnoses on the Spectrum that fall under the classification of Pervasive Developmental Disorders under DSM-IV. These Disorders all share common traits, and there are many thoughts on their origins. Some believe that mercury in vaccines is the cause; others believe hereditary and environmental factors are to blame. The bottom line is no one really knows, but scientists are working on finding the answers.
PDD-NOS is one of the "threshold" syndromes. It is not quite into the Autism Spectrum, yet the child with PDD-NOS shows autistic traits. PDD-NOS is shorthand for "Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified". Children with PDD-NOS will display behavior outside of the norm as set down by other children. Peer relations are more difficult, and unusual sensitivities are also developed. This threshold disorder doesn't have as extreme effect of "classical autism". Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) is a subsection of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), so the two are not interchangeable.
Asperger Syndrome (aka, Asperger's Disorder or AS) is described to be on the mild to moderate on the scale of ASD. The disorder, as with the other disorders, has different effects on each person. In general, people with AS have difficulty with changes, or at least take comfort in sameness. They have difficulty reading body language, along with not understanding proper body space. People with AS may be sensitive to things so minute that people without the disorder may not even sense. People with AS view the world differently than we do, so they may seem odd or rude, not the effect of bad parenting. However, constant and repetitive instrutction on when something is allowed, and when not to do something may help the person understand the world around them. This works especially well when the person is an adult or an authority figure in a safe environment. The people with AS have normal IQ's, although this varies due to the person. When people have AS, they may also take things literally or they may not be able to use language in public or when they are put on the spot. People with AS may also hold an impressive vocabulary or remember minute details.
Perhaps the one of the worst disorders under the ASD, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, or CDD, is very rare. The child will develop normally until about three years of age. The child will have by then been able to become toilet trained, they may have developed speech, and they may have even displayed appropriate behavior. Then the child becomes irritable and moody, and during a few weeks, the child loses the skills that he or she developed. The child may lose social skills, motor skills, language skills, bowel control, and any other skills taught before that time. The child may become severely retarded, and there is no cure for CDD.
Rett's Syndrome is predominantly found in females, which is just the opposite for the other disorders. Rett's Syndrome, or RS is sometimes misdiagnosed as autism, but this disorder is much different. The child experiences normal growth, until at about 6-18 months, they lose those abilities. They lose control of most motor skills, and can develop breathing problems. Seizures may happen to children with RS. Children with RS have difficulty being diagnosed for their intelligence, as the normal IQ tests include talking or using their hands, which someone with TS can not do. The odds of a child being diagnosed with RS varies from 1:10,000 to 1:23,000.
Autism, or classical autism, is the disorder that is being brought to the light more and more these days. On the television, there are commercials promoting community awareness through statistics. Parents are learning that their children have this disorder, and adults are affected too. Autism in people range from severe to minimal. Autism has a variaty of symptoms. People with autism may have poor use of body language, they may lack awareness of other people's feelings, they may not want to be cuddled, and they may not respond to verbal cues. Sometimes, the child's speech may be delayed, or it may be abnormal. The ability to sustain a conversation may not be understood, making conversations sometimes difficult. People with autism may be prone to compulsive behaviors, such as being fascinated in the little details (such as movie credits, numbers, the weather). A person with autism may develop seizures. They may not all be severe, but they are worth asking the doctor about after they occur. People with autism may also throw wild tantrums, have short attention spans, show no apparent fear of danger, or they may not be susceptible to normal teaching methods. Autism is not curable, but it is treatable. For more information, click on the Favorite Links tab.