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Asperger syndrome: A milder form of autism where children tend to isolate themselves socially and are somewhat eccentric. They have difficulty with verbal communication and have interests that are very channeled.
If an infant does not cuddle, make eye contact or respond to affection and touching, or have abnormal responses to a combination of senses; such as hearing, balance, smell, taste and reaction to pain, parents should be seriously concerned.
This lack of responsiveness may be accompanied by an inability to communicate appropriately, and by a persistent failure to develop two-way social relationships. The language skills may be poor, even nonexistent, sometimes repeating words or phrases in place of normal language or using gestures and pointing instead of words.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder and not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) – This child has autism but doesn’t meet the criteria for high functioning autism.
High-Functioning Autism – This child has autism but has normal learning and cognitive and learning skills. Language development is difficult initially but they become proficient eventually.
This disorder affects only female and is extremely rare affecting only only one in 100,000 children. This disorder starts with hand wringing movements that are so dramatic that a child may have problems feeding themselves. These children may also develop the criteria for autism as well.
| Visit these sites for more information |
| Autism Society of AmericaAsperger and PDD Information by MAAP Services |
Autism, which affects thought, perception and attention, is a broad spectrum of disorders that ranges from mild to severe. If an infant does not cuddle, make eye contact or respond to affection and touching, or have abnormal responses to a combination of senses; such as hearing, balance, smell, taste and reaction to pain, parents should be seriously concerned.
This lack of responsiveness may be accompanied by an inability to communicate appropriately, and by a persistent failure to develop two way social relationships. The language skills may be poor, even nonexistent, sometimes repeating words or phrases in place of normal language or using gestures and pointing instead of words. In addition, the child may show unusual or extreme responses to objects, either avoidance or preoccupation. Another feature of autism is a tendency toward repetitive activities of a restrictive range, like spinning and rhythmic body movements.
| Keep in mind that this chart notes average progress. The vast majority of children who do not meet these milestones still end up with normal language skills. |
| COMMUNICATION | AGE |
| Social smile | 0-2 months |
| Cooing | 0-3 months |
| Turns toward mother’s or father’s voice | 4 months |
| Razzing sound | 5 months |
| Recognizes mama and dada | 6-9 months |
| Says first word | 12 months |
| Has vocabulary of 8-10 words | 15 months |
| Has vocabulary of 15-18 words | 18 months |
| Speaks in two word phrases; Has vocabulary of 50 words. | 20-24 months |
| Can answer “who”, “why”, and “where”, questions; Has vocabulary of 500 words. |
3 years |
| Can tell a story | 4 years |
Autism and related disabilities, such as PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified), and Asperger’s Syndrome are difficult to diagnose, especially in young children where speech and reasoning skills are still developing. Parents who suspect autism in their child should ask their pediatrician to refer them to a child psychiatrist, who can accurately diagnose the autism and the degree of severity, and determine the appropriate educational measures. Autism is a serious, lifelong disability. However, with appropriate intervention, many of the autism behaviors can be positively changed, even to the point that the child or adult may appear, to the untrained person, to no longer have autism, and have a full range of life experiences.
For more information go to Autism Checklist
| Visit these sites for more information |
| Early Origins of AutismAsk an Expert on AutismHealth FinderTalk to Autism Expert
National Institutes of Mental Health |
Autism, which affects thought, perception and attention, is a broad spectrum of disorders that ranges from mild to severe. If an infant does not cuddle, make eye contact or respond to affection and touching, or have abnormal responses to a combination of senses; such as hearing, balance, smell, taste and reaction to pain, parents should be seriously concerned.
This lack of responsiveness may be accompanied by an inability to communicate appropriately, and by a persistent failure to develop two way social relationships. The language skills may be poor, even nonexistent, sometimes repeating words or phrases in place of normal language or using gestures and pointing instead of words. In addition, the child may show unusual or extreme responses to objects, either avoidance or preoccupation. Another feature of autism is a tendency toward repetitive activities of a restrictive range, like spinning and rhythmic body movements.
| Keep in mind that this chart notes average progress. The vast majority of children who do not meet these milestones still end up with normal language skills. |
| COMMUNICATION | AGE |
| Social smile | 0-2 months |
| Cooing | 0-3 months |
| Turns toward mother’s or father’s voice | 4 months |
| Razzing sound | 5 months |
| Recognizes mama and dada | 6-9 months |
| Says first word | 12 months |
| Has vocabulary of 8-10 words | 15 months |
| Has vocabulary of 15-18 words | 18 months |
| Speaks in two word phrases; Has vocabulary of 50 words. | 20-24 months |
| Can answer “who”, “why”, and “where”, questions; Has vocabulary of 500 words. |
3 years |
| Can tell a story | 4 years |
Autism and related disabilities, such as PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified), and Asperger’s Syndrome are difficult to diagnose, especially in young children where speech and reasoning skills are still developing. Parents who suspect autism in their child should ask their pediatrician to refer them to a child psychiatrist, who can accurately diagnose the autism and the degree of severity, and determine the appropriate educational measures. Autism is a serious, lifelong disability. However, with appropriate intervention, many of the autism behaviors can be positively changed, even to the point that the child or adult may appear, to the untrained person, to no longer have autism, and have a full range of life experiences.
For more information go to Autism Checklist
