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What Different Types Of Autism Are There

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Breaking Down The Term Support

Autism & Pediatric Diseases : Different Types of Autism

These categories are separated by the level of support that individuals need as a result of their ASD. That said, support comes in all different ways in different degrees.

While symptoms and behaviors gradually get more pronounced, theyre still set against the backdrop of the individual in question. As we know, people handle things differently and require different care and support.

In the case of autism, theres a wide range of potential behaviors or unique challenges. For example, some individuals might experience a lot of anxiety as a result of their high-functioning autism, while others dont.

The degree of that anxiety might warrant a lot more support than someone else who also has level one ASD. The point is, the classifications above help to categorize things in general. Just because someone has a particular level of ASD, though, doesnt give you the full picture of who they are.

Signs Of Autism Meltdown

For some people with autism, sensory overload can become overwhelming. In these situations a person may have a meltdown. A change in routine can also precipitate a meltdown.

A meltdown is not a temper tantrum and can be experienced by someone with autism of any age. A meltdown should be managed by calming the person and addressing the cause of the distress.

Signs that a meltdown may be developing, sometimes known as the rumbling stage, include:

  • Nail biting

Many people with autism spectrum disorder also have food intolerances and may find that a diet which excludes gluten or casein helps.

When To Seek Medical Advice

Early intervention is very important in children with autism spectrum disorder. Services such as speech therapy and behavioral and skills training are more effective if begun when a child is young.

For this reason, it is helpful to receive a diagnosis as early as possible. However, many children remain undiagnosed until they are in school. Some people are not diagnosed until they are adults.

If you suspect someone has autism, including yourself, contact a medical professional as soon as possible.

Read Also: Asd Adhd Comorbidity

S To Take If You Believe A Teenager Has Autism

If you think your teenager has autism, is it important for you to carry out research. Sites such as Child Autism UK can help you better understand the condition and the steps to take next.

You should also contact their special educational needs coordinator to discuss the symptoms. It is also important to speak to your GP who can provide medical advice and referrals where necessary.

Managing Symptoms Of Pdd

5 Types of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Treatments for PDD-NOS are mostly similar to those meant for other types of autism. However, children diagnosed with PDD-NOS are advised to pursue an Early Intervention Program for a preschool child or Individual Education Program for a school-age child.

Regardless of where you may find yourself on the spectrum, or your child may be on the autism spectrum, there are several resources available for managing symptoms of autism spectrum disorder .

Also Check: Life Expectancy Of Autistic People

What Is The Difference Between Autism And Autism Spectrum Disorder

The term autism was changed to autism spectrum disorder in 2013 by the American Psychiatric Association. ASD is now an umbrella term that covers the following conditions:

  • Autistic disorder.
  • Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified .
  • Asperger syndrome.

People with ASD have trouble with social interactions and with interpreting and using non-verbal and verbal communication in social contexts. Individuals with ASD may also have the following difficulties:

  • Inflexible interests.
  • Insistence on sameness in environment or routine.
  • Repetitive motor and sensory behaviors, like flapping arms or rocking.
  • Increased or decreased reactions to sensory stimuli.

How well someone with ASD can function in day-to-day life depends on the severity of their symptoms. Given that autism varies widely in severity and everyday impairment, the symptoms of some people arent always easily recognized.

Contact Emit For More Information

No two autism diagnoses are the same. At EMIT, we focus on holistic therapy and support for different types of autism to help each child grow into their strengths. Through in-home telehealth therapy, we provide families and children with autism structure and support from the comfort of home. Contact us online today or at if youre ready to begin telehealth autism therapy for any type of autism.

Read Also: What Is The Symbol For Autism

How Is Autism Diagnosed

If someone is thought to have autism, their doctor will often refer them to a specialist, such as a psychiatrist, paediatrician or psychologist, to confirm the diagnosis.

The specialist uses a set of standard tests to make a diagnosis. To be diagnosed with autism, someone must have lasting difficulties in social communication and social interaction in multiple situations, as well as restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities. These symptoms must have been evident from early life and significantly affect the persons life.

Autism is classified into different levels:

  • Level 1: people requiring support
  • Level 2: people requiring substantial support
  • Level 3: people more severely affected and requiring very substantial support

Children can usually be diagnosed at around 2, but sometimes symptoms are subtle and children are not diagnosed until they start school or even until they become adults.

Autism Screening And Diagnosis

Ask Dr. Doreen: How Many Types of Autism are There?

It can be hard to get a definite diagnosis of autism. Your doctor will focus on behavior and development.

For children, diagnosis usually takes two steps.

  • A developmental screening will tell your doctor whether your child is on track with basic skills like learning, speaking, behavior, and moving. Experts suggest that children be screened for these developmental delays during their regular checkups at 9 months, 18 months, and 24 or 30 months of age. Children are routinely checked specifically for autism at their 18-month and 24-month checkups.
  • If your child shows signs of a problem on these screenings, theyâll need a more complete evaluation. This might include hearing and vision tests or genetic tests. Your doctor might want to bring in someone who specializes in autism disorders, like a developmental pediatrician or a child psychologist. Some psychologists can also give a test called the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule .

If you werenât diagnosed with autism as a child but notice yourself showing signs or symptoms, talk to your doctor.

Also Check: Dyslexia And Autism Overlap

Read Also: Low Functioning Autism Vs High Functioning Autism

Getting Evaluated For Autism Spectrum Disorder

Parent interview In the first phase of the diagnostic evaluation, you will give your doctor background information about your childs medical, developmental, and behavioral history. If you have been keeping a journal or taking notes on anything thats concerned you, share that information. The doctor will also want to know about your familys medical and mental health history.

Medical exam The medical evaluation includes a general physical, a neurological exam, lab tests, and genetic testing. Your child will undergo this full screening to determine the cause of their developmental problems and to identify any co-existing conditions.

Hearing test Since hearing problems can result in social and language delays, they need to be excluded before an Autism Spectrum Disorder can be diagnosed. Your child will undergo a formal audiological assessment where they are tested for any hearing impairments, as well as any other hearing issues or sound sensitivities that sometimes co-occur with autism.

Observation Developmental specialists will observe your child in a variety of settings to look for unusual behavior associated with the Autism Spectrum Disorder. They may watch your child playing or interacting with other people.

Lead screening Because lead poisoning can cause autistic-like symptoms, the National Center for Environmental Health recommends that all children with developmental delays be screened for lead poisoning.

Level : Requiring Support

The communication issues that a person with Level 1 ASD may face include:

  • difficulty initiating social interactions

The repetitive behavioral issues a person with Level 1 ASD may face include:

  • inflexible behavior that interferes with general functioning in one or more contexts
  • problems switching between activities
  • issues with organization and planning, which can impact independence

Read Also: What Is The Life Expectancy Of People With Autism

Support Available For Autistic Children When Becoming Teenagers

Some local authorities have charities operating within them, so search the website of your local author to see what support is available. Some offer buddying volunteers for young people with autism who would otherwise have no peer friendships, while others provide support groups for parents and advice on how to navigate the Education, Health and Care Plan process.

For more details on Aspris Children’s Services, please call 0118 970 8068 or

Why The Old Definitions Of Autism Were Flawed

Infographic: Early symptoms of autism  what to look for ...

The old autism subtypes did recognize that autism is very much a spectrum disorder, meaning different people experience different symptoms. But, there was a lot of grey area in determining what symptoms were most important for putting any one individual into one category versus the other. Veenstra-Vanderweele adds: The shift to a single diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder reflects the reality that we dont know how to split up the disorder into groups of people.

The definitions of those four subtypes of autism help elucidate why the distinctions were not always clear and where there was overlap between the criteria for the different subtypes:

Autistic Disorder This had been the broadest subtype of autism. Some considered it to characterize the classic case of autism. Symptoms could include any combination of language challenges, repeating specific behaviors, learning disabilities, or problems with speech and nonverbal communication. One individual with this diagnosis might have also had very unique strengths and differences from others.

Some of these people really have very specific interests that some might label as obsessive, Veenstra-Vanderweele says. Others categorized in this way might be unable to leave behind a topic in conversation, he adds.

Recommended Reading: Average Lifespan Of An Autistic Person

How Is Autism Spectrum Disorder Treated

ASD is most often a life-long condition. Both children and adults with autism benefit from behavioral interventions or therapies that can teach new skills to address the core deficits of autism and to reduce the core symptoms. Every child and adult with autism is unique. For this reason, the treatment plan is individualized to meet specific needs. It is best to begin interventions as soon as possible, so the benefits of therapy can continue on throughout the course of life.

Many people with ASD often have additional medical conditions, such as gastrointestinal and feeding issues, seizures and sleep disturbances. Treatment can involve behavioral therapy, medications or both.

Early intensive behavioral treatments involves the entire family and possibly a team of professionals. As your child ages and develops, treatment may be modified to cater to their specific needs.

During adolescence, children benefit from transition services that promote skills of independence essential in adulthood. The focus at that point is on employment opportunities and job skill training.

Autism Therapies And Services

In order to deal with these types of autism, some services are available to handle it. These services are variously divided into many therapies and reliable way to explore great caring entities. Therapies are very much likely to be given in proper institutes and I am focusing on providing the best for the patients of my centered category.

  • Speech Therapy
  • Gluten Free Casein Free Diets Diets
  • Use of Vitamin, Supplements and various nutrition sources.
  • Psychological Therapy Sessions.

These are the kind of treatments which not at a higher level of risk because these are not generated from rigorous scientific knowledge. These are just natural resources making life better and treat-able.

Also Check: Dyslexia And Autism In Adults

Different Types Of Autism Spectrum Disorders

While ASD refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication, we know that there is not one autism but many different types. The reason why autism is referred to as a spectrum disorder is because each autistic person holds a distinct set of strengths and challenges. The different autism types that exist include:2

Signs Of Autism In Girls

Types Of Autism | Special Education Decoded

The ratio of boys to girls diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder is 4:1. However, there is some evidence that autism is going undiagnosed in girls, particularly those who are at the higher functioning end of the spectrum.

There is discussion around whether girls and women with autism may display different symptoms to boys and men, and that the current diagnostic criteria may be biased towards boys and stereotypical male behavior. Girls and women may also be better able to mask difficulties with social interactions than boys, and this may delay a diagnosis. New diagnostic criteria may be needed to assess ASD in girls and women. Past theories, including controversies such as the extreme male brain, may have led to under-referral and under-diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in girls and women.

Signs that a girl may have autism include:

  • Difficulties with social interactions however, differences from typical autism symptoms may include:
  • Better grasp of emotions and ability to make friends than boys
  • May mask lack of intuitive understanding of social situations by repeating role-plays seen in real life or film/television
  • May be able to make friends but find difficulty keeping them
  • Intense focus on particular topics differences in gender may be expressed as a focus on trains or dinosaurs for boys, and celebrities or animals for girls,
  • Fewer repetitive behaviors and gestures than boys, or may have different gestures than boys
  • Recommended Reading: What Is The Life Expectancy Of People With Autism

    Highly Focused Interests Or Hobbies

    Many autistic people have intense and highly focused interests, often from a fairly young age. These can change over time or be lifelong. Autistic people can become experts in their special interests and often like to share their knowledge. A stereotypical example is trains but that is one of many. Greta Thunberg’s intense interest, for example, is protecting the environment.

    Like all people, autistic people gain huge amounts of pleasure from pursuing their interests and see them as fundamental to their wellbeing and happiness.

    Being highly focused helps many autistic people do well academically and in the workplace but they can also become so engrossed in particular topics or activities that they neglect other aspects of their lives.

    Take a look at the Spectrum magazine, written for and by autistic people

    What Are The 5 Types Of Autism

    Autism refers to a wide range of neurodevelopmental disorders. If your child is living with autism, it is important for you to understand the various types of autism and the symptoms presented by each.

    Understanding the unique challenges presented by each type of autism will guide you in helping your child cope with the disorder. There are five major types of autism which include Aspergers syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, Kanners syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified.

    Read Also: Is Level 2 Autism High Functioning

    How Is Asd Diagnosed

    ASD symptoms can vary greatly from person to person depending on the severity of the disorder. Symptoms may even go unrecognized for young children who have mild ASD or less debilitating handicaps.

    Autism spectrum disorder is diagnosed by clinicians based on symptoms, signs, and testing according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V, a guide created by the American Psychiatric Association used to diagnose mental disorders. Children should be screened for developmental delays during periodic checkups and specifically for autism at 18- and 24-month well-child visits.

    Very early indicators that require evaluation by an expert include:

    • no babbling or pointing by age 1
    • no single words by age 16 months or two-word phrases by age 2
    • no response to name
    • excessive lining up of toys or objects
    • no smiling or social responsiveness

    Later indicators include:

    • impaired ability to make friends with peers
    • impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
    • absence or impairment of imaginative and social play
    • repetitive or unusual use of language
    • abnormally intense or focused interest
    • preoccupation with certain objects or subjects
    • inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals

    What Conditions Are Considered Spectrum Disorders

    Autism[2]

    Until recently, experts talked about different types of autism, such as autistic disorder, Aspergerâs syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified . But now they are all called âautism spectrum disorders.â

    If you still hear people use some of the older terms, youâll want to know what they mean:

    Asperger’s syndrome. This is on the milder end of the autism spectrum. A person with Asperger’s may be very intelligent and able to handle their daily life. They may be really focused on topics that interest them and discuss them nonstop. But they have a much harder time socially.

    Pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified . This mouthful of a diagnosis included most children whose autism was more severe than Asperger’s syndrome, but not as severe as autistic disorder.

    Autistic disorder. This older term is further along the autism spectrum than Aspergerâs and PDD-NOS. It includes the same types of symptoms, but at a more intense level.

    Childhood disintegrative disorder. This was the rarest and most severe part of the spectrum. It described children who develop normally and then quickly lose many social, language, and mental skills, usually between ages 2 and 4. Often, these children also developed a seizure disorder.

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    Signs Of Autism In Adults

    Autism spectrum disorder is a lifelong condition and some people with autism spectrum disorder are not diagnosed until they are adults. This could be because they fall into the higher functioning range of the autism spectrum and their symptoms are less severe, or because they were misdiagnosed with a condition such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder.

    Although treatment can improve some outward symptoms, people with autism will always process sensations such as sound, sight, touch and smell in different ways.

    Autism is a spectrum condition, which means that adults will have different experiences of day-to-day living. An adult with mild symptoms, who is towards the higher functioning range of the autism spectrum, may:

    • Have difficulties with social interactions
    • Avoid making eye contact
    • Not understand nonverbal facial or body gestures, such as frowning or shrugging
    • Not understand changes in tone of voice, such as sarcasm
    • Be comforted by rules and routine
    • Get upset at changes to routines
    • Be under- or over-sensitive to loud noises, strong smells or tastes
    • Engage in repetitive behaviors, such as pacing or hand flapping
    • Have a narrow range of interests
    • Have a good memory and recall of facts

    An adult who is towards the lower functioning range of the autism spectrum may:

    One common sign of autism spectrum disorder in adults is anxiety. Signs of anxiety can include:

    • Irritability

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