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Autism Spectrum Disorder And Autism Essay

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Abnormal psychology is arguably, one of the most interesting subgroups in the world of psychology. There is an abundant amount of research done on abnormal diseases to understand the causes, functions, and effects or the diseases. One of the most widely known abnormal disorders is Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism is a complicated disorder because it represents a wide range of developmental disorders categorized by criteria such as: impaired social interactions, verbal and nonverbal communication breakdowns, and repetitive behaviors.
Since Autism Spectrum Disorder is on a spectrum, as the name suggests, there are individuals with mild to little symptoms classified by Autism Spectrum Disorder and others who classify severely in most categories. The mildest form of autism is known as Asperger’s syndrome, these individuals often become obsessively interested in a single topic or object, can be socially awkward, but often have normal or above average intelligence. The next step up is Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). This is a more severe form of autism than Asperger’s syndrome but is often hard to generalize. The final step us is Autistic Disorder, which meets more of the rigid criteria for a diagnosis of autism. Individuals with Autistic Disorder often have several social and language impairments and repetitive behaviors.
One in 68 children are affected by autism, but these children could fall anywhere on the spectrum listed above. In

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