Overview of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Autism is one of five disorders that fall under the umbrella of “Pervasive Development Disorders (PDD.)”
The five disorders are:
- Autistic Disorder
- Aspergers Syndrome
- Retts Syndrome
- Child Disentegrative Disorder
- Pervasive Development Disorder- Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
Because Autism and other PDDs describe such a range of differences, “Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)” is the term increasingly used to describe individuals who have the characteristics of Autism. These individuals are sometimes said to be “on the spectrum.”
The three major areas of difference between typically developing individuals and people with Autism are:
- communication
- social interaction
- behavior
Not surprisingly, these three areas are heavily interlinked with each other in every day life. Some people with Autism are non-verbal, some are brilliant in mathematics or music, and some get PhDs. Each person is a unique individual with unique abilities and differences, just like any typically developing person. Autism affects some people very little, and some people quite a bit.
ASD is the fastest growing neurobiological condition in the world. With prevalence numbers rising exponentially over the last six decades, more and more families are living with ASD than ever before. In the United States, one in every 150 American children will have ASD, and it is estimated that figure is one in every 90 boys. Western Europe and Canada carry similar, if not higher numbers, and Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa also face challenges due to their rising numbers and the increasing obstacles to accessing care.
Sources:
Autism Society of America
Kennedy Space Center Fitness
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