Types of Autism

Autism is an umbrella term usually used for three different types of neurological and psychological disorders which can cover a large range of degree of severity.  It is possible, for instance, for a person to have Asperger's syndrome or autism and be extremely functional in society, excel even, and it is also possible for the problem to be so debilitating that it prevents the sufferer from being able to even somewhat function in society.  There are three basic disorders as defined by the DSMV, and they fall on what is called the autism spectrum.  The autism spectrum is a number of different degrees of issues that we'll describe in a bit, but the three basic disorders are, in order of descending severity, autism, Asperger syndrome, and Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, or PDD-NOS.  There are also some experts who say that pathological demand avoidance syndrome is another disorder that falls under the umbrella of autism.

What Are the Basic Characteristics of Autism?

Autism is hard to exactly pinpoint because of the degrees of the disorder, but there are a few characteristics that manifest themselves in day to day life.  First, you have stunted social development.  Often, autistic children have difficulty relating emotionally to others around them, and may be averse to human contact as well.  Generally, they have difficulty recognizing social norms while attempting to communicate with others, and may be unnecessarily blunt or won't be able to pick up on the tone, sarcasm, or nuanced meaning of what a person is really trying to express.  For this reason, they may appear unemotional and aloof.  This shouldn't suggest that they are emotionless, just that they process these emotions in different ways.  They have often been known to echo what someone else just said, and often aren't as good at sharing experiences with others.

They may also practice repetitive behaviors, which may fall under OCD.  You can see a good example of this portrayed on the classic movie Rainman, where he had to watch his television shows at a certain time of the day, and had to buy his underwear from K-Mart.  They will often line things up in a row, and try to keep everything the same out of compulsion.  Their behavior becomes restricted, and they try and make things as ritualized as possible.  For those with less severe cases, there appears to be an excellent perception of math and logic, as well as occasional extraordinary abilities as well.

Types of Autism

Autism - On the autism spectrum, most of the disorders are based around varying degrees of the full-blown disease of autism.  Autism is not curable, but is possible to live with.  Full-blown autism usually manifests itself at age 2, and tends to appear in men more than women.  It appears that autism is on the rise, but that may be because more people are being diagnosed.  Many autism sufferers may have other mental retardation problems on top of their autism, or may have problems with psychological issues like obsessive compulsive disorder.  Usually, it manifests itself in a stunted cognitive development, antisocial social development, and some issues with proper linguistic development as well.  Autistics also tend to appear emotionally detached from the rest of their world, though they can form human attachments.  The disease is being studied a lot lately, but serious steps forward in treating it have yet to be made.

Asperger's Syndrome - Asperger's is a still severe by some standards, but is much less serious than most forms of autism.  Generally, it is different from autism because the cognitive abilities of the sufferer still develop at a normal rate, and they will usually be able to carry on typical conversations.  But they might speak with different levels of coherence in terms of saying strange things linguistically.  Though he has never explicitly been stated as such, it is rather likely that the television character of Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory has Aspergers, as well as the character of Abed on Community.  Usually, these characters are relatively accurately portrayed as not being able to relate with other characters as well, but still being able to express themselves in their own way.  This, unlike autism, improves throughout life, and sufferers can live normal lives, though they may always have some of the symptoms.

PDD-NOS - This is basically a less severe form of autism, in that it is basically a milder form of the repetitive compulsive activities in the other two, and awkwardness in dealing with social situations.  This one is not particularly well defined, and may fall into a number of other categories as well.

Famous Autistics

Autism can occasionally produce savants, or people who excel in a certain field to a degree rarely seen.  Among musicians, this may include Mozart, Beethoven, and Erik Satie.  Among writers, the list may include William Butler Yeats, George Orwell, Hans Christian Anderson, James Joyce, Lewis Carroll, and Emily Dickinson, and scientists like Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, and Nikolai Tesla.  Among artists, it may include Andy Warhol, Vincent Van Gogh, and Michelangelo.  Among politicians, it may include Thomas Jefferson, Adolf Hitler, and Charles XII of Sweden.

If you feel you have or might know someone who has autism, then you should know that there are no cures for the diseases, but there are plenty of successful coping strategies employed by sufferers and their family members, which you can find on the internet or by contacting a local clinic, psychologist, psychiatrist, or support group.  Symptoms may well be treatable, as many of them are simply that: symptoms of the larger disease.  We have linked to a number of pages which should be able to help you learn more.  Remember that autism is something that can be lived with, and the issues may in face be used to ones benefit. 

If you want to learn more about autism, check out the site that we have linked to here and see what you can learn.

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