Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is increasingly the favored term for what used to be called Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). Many experts felt the PDD label gave a false impression of what autism and related disorders were. Not all autistic individuals display the same symptoms or have the same severity of impairment, and Autism Spectrum Disorder is felt to more accurately describe the fact that autism is not an "on or off" diagnosis, but rather represents a very wide variety of possible symptoms and effects.

Autism Spectrum Disorders can include not only 'classic' autism, but also similar disorders like Aspergers Syndrom, Fragile X Syndrom, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Rett Syndrome and what is still known as "Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified" (PDD-NOS) in the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychological Association). PDD-NOS is a diagnosis generally applied to individuals who display enough autistic characteristics to be functionally impaired, but who do not fit the standard autism criteria.

Currently, all disorders referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorders share a core group of symptoms. ASD patients a) impaired social interaction - they may exhibit inappropriate emotional responses to others, or show very little interest in other people at all; b) deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication - affected infants may not babble or show normal facial expressions, and older children may have delayed language development or a near-complete lack of verbal & non-verbal communication; and c) repetitive behaviors or interests - often including 'self-stimulating' behavior like rocking, and extreme fixations on certain objects or subjects.

Clearly there is a huge variety in symptoms that fit into those basic categories, but while some affected individuals may have little or no ability to care for themselves, others (notable Aspergers patients and a few high-functioning autistic individuals) may be able to lead partially or completely independent adult lives. Autism Spectrum Disorder, as a diagnostic term, more accurately highlights this variability.

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