Autistic spectrum
Autism often refers to autistic spectrum disorders. The word spectrum is used because people can suffer in different ways and to different extents even though their conditions are all related to autism. Autistic spectrum disorders affect people in three areas of development; these include communication, social interaction and imagination.
The autism spectrum is comprised of three major types, which are classic autism (also known as autistic disorder), Asperger syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDDNOS), also known as PDD.
Classic autism
Autism is a lifelong condition, which is usually diagnosed during the first three years of a child’s life. Autism usually affects a child’s ability to communicate and speak, interact with other children and adults and understand the world around them. Children with autism find it difficult to understand emotions and imagination. Autism can also affect behaviour and people may behave in a way that is deemed rude or odd by others because autistic people have difficulty understanding how their actions affect other people’s feelings and they often have difficulty in social situations. For example, an autistic person may stand very close to people because they do not understand the concept of personal space and are not aware that this may make people angry or anxious.
In children, autism can delay language development and may make it difficult for children to build relationships with their relatives and other children. Often, it takes a while for children to learn to speak and they prefer to be alone, rather than surrounded by other children.
Adults with autism are often awkward in social situations and may struggle to initiate conversation. However, there is lots of help available and many say they simply have to learn to adapt to social situations, rather than it coming naturally, as with most people. Many autistic people have trouble understanding things that are not literal and struggle when it comes to understanding some people’s sense of humour and sarcasm.
Asperger syndrome
Asperger syndrome is a form of autistic spectrum disorder, which affects people’s development of social skills, communications skills and interpretation of imagination. People with Asperger syndrome are often very intelligent and many are very well spoken. However, they see the world in black and white and struggle to understand things that are abstract and metaphorical. This can make it difficult for them to understand jokes and appreciate abstract concepts.
People with Asperger syndrome have some symptoms associated with autism, but they do not have many of the development disabilities related to classic autism. People with Asperger syndrome tend to develop good language skills and many have above average intelligence. Some people with Asperger syndrome may have specific learning disabilities, including dyspraxia, dyslexia and ADHD.
Asperger syndrome can affect people to different degrees but usually, with help, people can live normal lives. People with Asperger syndrome have difficulty with social norms, interpreting and understanding other people’s expressions and cues and making friends. However, with help they can learn to feel more comfortable around other people and start to understand how to interact with others.
Asperger syndrome and High Functioning Autism
Some people refer to Asperger syndrome as High Functioning Autism. There is a great deal of debate amidst experts, including scientists, doctors and psychiatrists, as to the difference between Asperger syndrome and HFA. HFA is part of the autistic spectrum and implies that the person has symptoms and sings of autism without being seriously affected by the disorder. The main difference between the two conditions is thought to be the development of language. People with Asperger syndrome do not have problems with delayed language development, while people with HFA often experienced delayed language development.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)
Pervasive Developmental Disorder is a term which is used to diagnose people who have some of the symptoms and signs of autistic spectrum disorders, but not others. Most people diagnosed with PDD do not have severe symptoms, which may be caused by classic autism, but they also do not have above average intelligence and good language skills, which are associated with Asperger syndrome.
