Autism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )

Autism is the main form of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Autism is a developmental disorder that is manifested in problems with communication, impairment of social functioning, and repetitive behaviours. According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), ASD diagnoses must meet four different areas of criteria. There are three symptoms of "deficits in social communication and interaction across contexts," four symptoms of "restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities," "symptoms must be present in early childhood," and the symptoms must "together limit and impair everyday functioning" (Carpenter, 2013). There are many theoretical positions on the causes of autism spectrum disorders. Some of which have been discounted by empirical studies that have been researched and performed.

Many of us have heard about Autism, also knows as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Some have a family member, a friend, or know someone who has ASD. Increasingly it is becoming a more common disability. “Autism is one of the fastest-growing developmental disorders in the U.S” (Autism Speaks). Autism has no respect for gender, race, social class and or ethnicity. “Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that involves abnormal development and function of the brain.” (Autism Center of Excellence) People who have autism have a lot of difficulties with social skills, communication and also will develop behavior issues. These behavior problems of an individual with autism can vary at times and can go from mild to severe. According to the Autism Science Foundation it says,” Many people with the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) also have unusual ways of learning, paying attention, and reacting to different sensations. The thinking and learning abilities of people with ASD can vary—from gifted to severely challenged.” The causes and symptoms, as well as the diagnosis, and the treatments of autism vary.

Over the years, more people are becoming aware of Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD. The growing number of individuals who are affected by ASD have been increasing over the years. This could be do to the new DSM development of what is considered ASD or simply more children are being born with ASD. Either way, ASD is more predominate in our society today. ASD is defined in the DSM 5 as having abnormal social aspects, lack of social skills, non-verbal communications skills, deficits in development, lack of understanding of relationships, and self-stimulation through repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Although these are not all of the symptoms caused by ASD

Asperger’s and PDD-NOS have been removed from DSM-5, they are now under the same diagnoses of ASD. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, a condition where children hit all developmental milestones for the first two to four years of life, sometimes lose the communication skills, non-verbal skills, play and social skills that they have developed, is now diagnosed as ASD.

First off, Autism has countless number of symptoms that occur at an early age and these include difficulty in socializing with peers, uninterested in conversations, difficulty in making eye contact, and focusing on random objects. In most autism cases, children do develop normally until the second or even third year of life, but then start to act completely different to social engagement (NIH, 2016). And most of these symptoms usually last all the way to adulthood. Moreover, in severe cases of ASD is the lack of communication, practicing and insisting on the same activities, and repetitive patterns of behavior affect the daily functioning of the individual (NIH, 2016). Therefore, diagnosing autism disorders solely off of these symptoms can be very

The DSM-5 was published in 2013, after being revised by a task force and work groups of 160 researchers and clinicians (APA, 2017). The DSM-5 removed Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, and other pervasive developmental disorders to replace them with the umbrella diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in 2013 (Autism Society, 2016, para. 2). The reasoning for the change was that diagnosis was difficult, professionals would change diagnosis of the same individual often, and there was overlap of the previous disorders, therefore, a spectrum would make diagnosis easier. The spectrum includes Level 1, requiring very substantial support, Level 2, requiring substantial support, and Level 3, requiring support. AD is considered high-functioning

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a term used to describe a category of conditions also referred to as pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). Some of the PDD include: Autism or Autistic Disorder, Rett’s Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder---Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) which includes Atypical Autism (Yapko, 2003). These disorders affect three primary areas of development. First is communication, which is verbal and nonverbal. Second there is social interaction. Lastly, there is repetitive patterns of behavior. Children with Asperger’s may not always get along with other children around them. They tend to asphyxiate themselves with one hobby, and learn everything there is to know about it. All of the disorders mentioned can be grouped together under a single heading: Pervasive Developmental Disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).

To understand the current research being conducted, and the criteria that is currently in the DSM-5, it’s important to look at the history of autism and how it’s changed since its origin. The original characterizations of autism as defined by Kanner focused on extreme emotional withdrawal and severe tendencies on sameness. There was a split amongst various psychiatrists and psychologists on whether or not autism was a psychogenic disorder or an organic brain disorder, with Kanner originally believing

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects individuals whose brain development is outside of the norm. ASD is a complex disorder and each individual that suffers from has a unique set of conditions. The symptoms of individuals with ASD vary in severity. That is, the disorder is characterized, in varying degrees, based on how difficult social interactions and communicating are for the person. Before, all types of autism were considered as distinct and subtypes of autism. Each type of autism was termed as a unique disorder. For example, there was Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Asperger syndrome etc.… (Autism Speaks, 2016). However, the DSM-5 diagnostic manual merged all degrees of autism disorders into

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) merged all forms of autism into the overarching diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Earlier editions of the DSM separated autism into several categories. However, the more accurate view of autism is as a wide spectrum. Autism is no one thing. Rather, autism is a disorder of degree, with each diagnosis marking a unique imprint on the spectrum.

Over the years, different diagnostic labels have been used, such as autism, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), autism spectrum condition (ASC), classic autism, Kanner autism, pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), high-functioning autism (HFA), Asperger syndrome and Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). This reflects the different diagnostic manuals and tools used, and the different autism profiles presented by individuals. Because of recent and upcoming changes to the main diagnostic manuals, 'autism spectrum disorder' (ASD) is now likely to become the most commonly given diagnostic term.

Researchers found that these diagnoses were not always applied accurately across different settings. Under the DSM-5, individuals with ASD have to show symptoms from early childhood. It is an important change from DSM-IV criteria, which was geared toward identifying school-aged children with autism-related disorders, but was not as useful in diagnosing younger children (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

The DSM-5 contains reorganized, consolidated, and clarified content to adhere more relevantly to clinical practice. This included the consolidation of autism disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) into a single diagnosis of

The fact that it is being discussed leads a person to think there is not a consensus among the mental health professional community. There must be one consensus so the patient effected with ADS and their families can receive the care and treatment they need and deserve. Some point out those hidden or developing symptoms between ADS children and non-ADS children can sometimes be burry at best for the mental health clinician. Understanding between the 2 groups is a must for proper diagnosis in the ADS child and just important so the non-ADS child is not missed diagnosed. The DSM-5 is the next step in the diagnosis of autism based on research and clinical treatment since DSM-IV was

ASD and Autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development (What Is Autism, n.d.). Prior to 2013, patients could be diagnosed under Autistic Disorder (AD), Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) or Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD). In 2013, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) merged all Autism Disorders under one umbrella termed ASD so that it will improve the diagnosis of ASD without limiting the sensitivity of the criteria or substantially changing the number of children being diagnosed. (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).