Autism Ontario

You are visiting Ontario

Find your Chapter by Map

Membership E-News/Nouvelles Media Adults With ASD RDSP Ontario Camp Programs Honours Publications Education Research Scholarships Speaking Out Noteworthy - Ontario Noteworthy - Canada Login

Vos droits aux services Activités futures Ressources

Printer Friendly Version

They are grouped under the broad heading "Autism Spectrum Disorders" or ASD - a general category of disorders which are characterized by severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development. Diagnostic evaluations are based on the presence of specific behaviours indicated by observation and through parent consultation, and should be made by an experienced, highly trained team.

For diagnostic purposes in North America, this category of disorders is currently identified as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (1994, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, American psychiatric Association) Thus, when professionals or parents are referring to different types of autism, often they are distinguishing autism from one of the other spectrum disorders.

Individuals who fall under the Autism Spectrum Disorder category exhibit commonalties in communication and social deficits, but differ in terms of severity, number of symptoms or age of onset. Some differences between the specific diagnoses are listed below.

Autistic Disorder
...impairments in social interaction, communication, and imaginative play prior to age 3 years. Stereotyped behaviours, interests and activities.

Asperger's Disorder
...impairments in social interactions and the presence of restricted interests and activities, with no clinically significant general delay in language, and testing in the range of average to above average intelligence.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified
(commonly referred to as atypical autism) a diagnosis of PDD may be made when a child does not meet the criteria for a specific diagnosis, but there is a severe impairment in specified behaviours.

Rett's Disorder
...a progressive disorder which, to date, has occurred only in girls. They have a period of normal development and then loss of previously acquired skills, loss of purposeful use of the hands replaced with repetitive hand movements beginning at the age of 1-4 years.

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
...characterized by normal development for at least the first 2 years, followed by significant loss of previously acquired skills. Autism is a spectrum disorder. In other words, the symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe. Although autism is defined by a certain set of behaviours, children and adults can exhibit any combination of the behaviours in any degree of severity. Two children, both with the same diagnosis, can act very differently from one another and have varying skills.

Therefore, there is no standard "type" or "typical" person with autism. Parents may hear different terms used to describe children within this spectrum, such as: -like, autistic tendencies, autism spectrum, high-functioning or low-functioning autism, more-abled or less-abled. Whatever the diagnosis, children can learn and function productively and show gains from appropriate education and treatment. Autism Ontario provides information to serve the needs of all individuals within the spectrum. We will use the term "autism" to refer to the above disorders.