What is autism exactly? There are five different forms of autism, and all of them are different and have different affects on a child. Three of them are very conmen where the last two tend to be rare. (Norwalk: 2010) Classic autism also known as Autistic Disorder is one of the forms of autism. This form is one of the common forms of autism. According to "Autism Community" (N.d.), it is generally classified by impairment in social interactions and communication and includes some restrictive or repetitive behaviors. Nonspecific pervasive developmental disorder also known as PDD-NOS is the form of autism that a child is classified under if they do not fit any of the other forms of autism. Sometimes the term “pervasive developmental disorders” and “autism spectrum disorders” (ASD) are used interchangeably. As such, PDD-NOS became the diagnosis applied to children or adults who are on the autism spectrum but do not fully meet the criteria for another ASD such as autistic disorder (sometimes called “classic” autism) or Asperger Syndrome. Asperger's syndrome is a mild form of autism also known as high functioning. Children and adults with Asperer’s syndrome tend to have difficulty with social interactions and exhibit a restricted range of interests and/or repetitive behaviors. Motor development may be delayed, leading to clumsiness or uncoordinated motor movements. The last two forms of autism are the rare forms of autism. Rett syndrome is a form of autism that affect mostly girls, and if caused by a genetic mutation. Childhood disintegrative disorder is the other rare form of autism it is the most severe form. This form of Autism is characterized by late onset of developmental delays in language, social functions and motor skills
By the time a child is three years of age, is usually when the signs of autism show up. (Norwalk: 2010) There are various signs of autism. Some are harder than other to detect. When a child is born they may seem normal to the parent. By the age of 3 most, signs become more noticeable. For example, the child may not enjoy playing with other children. Parents can even see signs in infants. Some of the signs in an infant are: if by the age of six months there are no big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions. At nine months, if the child is showing no back and forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or facial expressions. Twelve months, if the child is having no response to their name, or not babbling otherwise known as “baby talk”. At sixteen months and the child has not spoken any words at all such as; Mama, Dada… and so on. And lest at twenty-four months if the child has not even spoke any meaning full word phrases, that does not include imitating or repeating words that the parents have spoke around then. These are all signs in an infant that should be a big enough concern that the parents bring it to the pediatricians attention. In toddlers, it is easier to see the signs of autism. They may spend hours looking at just one thing or object. There speech may be underdeveloped for their age. Other signs that a toddler may show of autism is self- stimulatory behaviors. Such as repeating the same exact action over and over again, tapping on their ears, or even banging here heads against objects.
Few autistic children are intentionally "bad." Many have difficult behaviors. So what's going on? Each child is different, and knowing how the child is key to taking action. Is the child extra-sensitive to sound and light? Do they need lots of sensory input? Are they likely to misunderstand a close approach? The more parents know, the easier it is to troubleshoot a situation. Education is one