{"id":345643,"date":"2020-05-25T10:35:20","date_gmt":"2020-05-25T10:35:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/autism-a-polymorphic-disorder\/"},"modified":"2020-05-25T10:35:20","modified_gmt":"2020-05-25T10:35:20","slug":"autism-a-polymorphic-disorder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/en\/autism-a-polymorphic-disorder\/","title":{"rendered":"Autism: A Polymorphic Disorder"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gabin, 5, struggles with social interactions. Yet he expresses himself very well and is a brilliant pupil. Yasmine, 4, has a significant speech delay and severe intellectual disability. On the surface, they have nothing in common. And yet they both have autism, now defined under the term Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autism, PDD, ASD, Asperger’s, Rett\u2026 it’s not easy to find your way around! What forms can autism take?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>Definition of autism spectrum disorder<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Autism<\/u><\/a>, now called Autism Spectrum Disorder, is a pervasive developmental disorder that considerably affects relationships with others and is characterised by repetitive, stereotyped behaviour. Since 1990, the 10th edition of the International Classification of Diseases has been the reference used by health practitioners to classify the different categories of autism. It lists several categories of Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD).<\/p>\n

The different categories of autism<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Childhood autism:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The term “childhood” used for this form of autism comes from the fact that the disorder appears from the very first months of a young child’s life and continues throughout their life. It shows itself through an absence of reaction to the emotions of people around the child. There is no exchange, no reciprocity between them and other people. Unlike children their age, they do not attempt imitation games or “pretend play”. A young child with autism develops a very particular attachment to a specific object and insists that daily routines and rituals be strictly followed. They also resist any change to their environment.<\/p>\n

Atypical autism:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What mainly distinguishes it from childhood autism is the age at which signs of the disability appear. Indeed, developmental changes show up after the age of three. In cases of atypical autism, the child sometimes does not show all the characteristics of autism. For example, restricted, stereotyped behaviour or communication difficulties may be absent. But other emotional or behavioural symptoms nonetheless overlap with those of childhood autism.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Rett syndrome:<\/strong><\/p>\n

While the infant (only girls are affected) developed very well up to 7 months of age, a slowdown in head growth and a loss of previously acquired skills, particularly language and hand use, take hold of the child between 7 and 24 months. The child no longer develops in terms of interaction and play. A deterioration in motor skills and severe intellectual disability follow.<\/p>\n

The combination of intellectual disability and hyperactivity:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This category brings together, under the diagnosis of autism, children with a serious intellectual disability combined with pervasive hyperactivity and stereotyped behaviours. This syndrome is also characterised by various developmental delays.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Asperger syndrome:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It stands apart from all other forms of autism, because people with Asperger syndrome show no impairment or delay. Usually rather clumsy, these children have normal intelligence, sometimes above average. The only things they have in common with autism are difficulty understanding others, knowing how to react to others, and social interactions in general. Repetitive behaviour and fairly restricted interests are also important factors in diagnosing Asperger syndrome.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Other childhood disintegrative disorder:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Up to the age of 2, the child develops entirely normally. However, after this initial period, difficulties appear for no apparent reason. Acquired skills deteriorate. The child becomes irritable, anxious and hyperactive, then gradually loses their language skills and their behaviour appears disorganised. Their relationships with others and their communication abilities are severely impaired. While in some cases children with this form of autism recover some skills, most retain a disabling delay.<\/p>\n

Other pervasive developmental disorders:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This category groups together cases of children whose relationships with others and way of communicating are severely impaired. Added to this are restricted interests and stereotyped, repetitive behaviours. In most cases, these conditions develop within the first 5 years of the child’s life. These disorders are sometimes accompanied by a greater or lesser degree of intellectual disability, but this is not systematic.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Is grouping all these forms together as “ASD” really any clearer?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This classification of the different forms of autism has been in use for many years. A new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (often abbreviated DSM) was established in 2013. It was followed by a new edition (the 11th) of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). It was adopted in 2019 and was due to come into force in 2022. This new classification brings together all the categories we have just listed under a single name: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Indeed, it was not easy for healthcare professionals to distinguish between the many forms of autism, whose symptoms often overlap.<\/p>\n

Intellectual abilities as a new way of classifying autism<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Yet since the new manual (DSM-5) came into use, making a diagnosis has not necessarily become simpler. It is essentially the intellectual level that is meant to make the difference. Doctors must now determine whether their patient is autistic without intellectual disability, autistic without intellectual impairment, autistic with average cognitive abilities, intellectually able autistic, cognitively able autistic, high-functioning autistic, or high cognitive-level autistic.<\/p>\n

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Image source: <\/em>https:\/\/comprendrelautisme.com\/<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

One problem remains in this attempt to categorise autism: people with very high intellectual potential, and women, whose ability to adapt to their disability is greater than that of men, tend to fall through the cracks of these diagnoses.<\/p>\n

For parents wondering about their child’s unusual behaviour and suspecting some form of autism, these classifications, which are moreover still being revised, may seem confusing. Focusing on observing your child and asking the people who spend regular time with them (childminders, childcare workers, teachers, etc.) are the key steps to take when deciding whether a consultation with a specialist is needed. The earlier autism is diagnosed, the greater the child’s chances of adapting to their environment and finding the tools needed for their integration.<\/p>\n

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