Formal Diagnostic Analysis

Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is shared with a core of other disorders with similar symptoms. The Center for Disease and Control estimates that about 1 in 68 children has been diagnosed with ASD. This means that the chances of this being a reality you face in the future is greater than it seems. There are three main categories of Autism, high functioning, atypical, and classic. Symptoms between all the disorders are relatively the same, being problems with communication and others as well as activities, interests and behaviors defer to how severe they are in a person (GRASU 2015). Classic autism is generally known to be the most severe of the three categories because of the characteristics and symptoms that the individual carries compared to the other types of autism. High functioning autism is a milder type than classic autism, and can also can relate to Asperger’s Syndrome. For people that have high functioning autism, they are very likely to have an average or an above average intelligence. So just because someone may have autism, this does not necessarily mean you are limited to regular learning abilities, however though they will still most likely have the same language delays as classic autism when growing up. The last category is atypical autism which is really similar to classic autism but not quite, the individual will carry the same symptoms of

Approximately 947,570 Americans have Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), however, it is not an easy disorder to explain (Bashe 19). With multiple conditions and characteristics in each case, AS is not an easy disorder to diagnose. Asperger’s Syndrome was named after Hans Asperger, an Austrian physician, who first described the disorder in 1944 after studying a group of children with similar, unusual characteristics. However, AS was not made an official disease until 1994. Consequently, Asperger disease is just now becoming published and popular so there is still research and questions being answered. Asperger’s Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder, is noted by above-average

The researchers at these centers have to agree on the diagnosis of each of the participants. However, since 2013, Asperger’s Syndrome is no longer considered a standalone diagnosis. ("Http://www.parents.com/health/autism/what-Happened-To-Aspergers/", 2014). Because Asperger’s Syndrome is now on the autism spectrum, it is now easier to agree on how to treat the person who has to live with the disorder.

Autism spectrum disorders are a class of developmental disorders that impair social skills, behavior, and communication (Center for Disease Control). ASDs are considered ‘spectrum’ disorders because each patient has a unique experience in the nature and severity of their symptoms (Center for Disease Control). Under the umbrella of ASDs, there are three types of disorders, including Autistic disorder, Asperger Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (Center for Disease Control). Autistic disorder is the most severe of the three, and patients exhibit significant problems with language, communication, and behavior (Center for Disease Control). Furthermore, people with Autistic disorder often have some intellectual impairment (Center for Disease Control). Asperger Syndrome is a milder form of autistic disorder where patients have some developmental delays, but their language and intellect are not affected (Center for Disease Control). The mildest of the ASDs is the pervasive developmental disorder. These patients usually don’t meet all of the criteria for autistic disorder, but do show some signs of social and communication problems (Center for Disease Control). The number of children diagnosed with ASD is growing, and currently 1 in 88 children fall somewhere on the spectrum (Mari-Bauset et al., 2013). Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism, and while the exact cause of these disorders is unknown, both genetic and

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be a disorder in the brain, caused by genetic, environmental or neural levels. Autism effects data processing in the brain by alerting how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize; how this occurs not understand. (Johnson.2004)

According to Kids Health (2014), “children with Autism have difference in the way their brains develop and process information”. For example, “language delay, trouble communicating with their brains, perform certain unusual or repetitive behaviors, or have difficulties learning in school” (p. 1).

Autism is a brain disorder that is characterized by slow and difficult comprehension of spoken and non-verbal communication and repetition of behaviors. Autism is normally noticed in the first two years of a child (Myers & Johnson, 2007). Asperger syndrome is an autistic disorder that has almost the same similarities with autism. People with Asperger syndrome have little comprehension of the world and its surroundings and poor communication with other people. People with Asperger syndrome are hard to recognize, as they do not show on their outward appearances. They are average or above average intellectually and have fewer problems in terms of speech and specific learning disabilities unlike in autism. These difficulties include dyslexia, epilepsy, and attention

As research into autism spectrum disorders has increased over recent years and this has resulted in changes to the way that American psychiatry diagnoses autism spectrum disorders. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) is used by clinicians as a guide to diagnoses of mental health illnesses and since its first publication in 1930’s it has been updated every 20 years, and these updates reflect on new research and discoveries.

Autism is a neurological development disorder that affects one in eighty-eight people. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition(DSM-IV) there were five types of autism. They were all listed under what is called Autism Spectrum Disorder. People on the spectrum range from dysfunctional to functional. The most functional form is called, Asperger 's Syndrome. People with Asperger 's Syndrome have above average intelligence; the people on the other end of the spectrum tend to have average or below average intelligence. There are many symptoms of Asperger 's Syndrome, but not all of the symptoms meet the other symptoms of the different types of autism. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) has taken Asperger 's Syndrome and three other diagnosed mental disorders and put them all into the autism spectrum disorder eliminating Asperger 's Syndrome as a diagnosed mental illness, but in fact these disabilities should be different because the symptoms of these disorders affect the human body in different ways.

Asperger’s disorder (AD) is a disruption in the formation of the child’s physical and or psychological development and recognizing these, the disorder was separated from Autism in 1944, to provide a basis for each child to get the proper care. All children with Asperger Disorder will show some traits in these three categories; impaired social skills, trouble communicating with others and a pattern of behavior, interest, and activities’ will be limited and recurring; they become obsessed with a single theme. Usually the child will have the normal communication skills in the beginning years. They will be using single words by age one. They just will not be using them in the normal way. When doctors are testing for this disorder, they are looking for specific behaviors or skills that are either present or absent. If the right services are available, Asperser’s children will show significant improvement in language

The conceptualization of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the framework of neurodiversity has been a revolutionary approach to the diagnosis. While this framework, as reviewed by Baron-Cohen (2017) can be applied to ASD and related disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it is not a viable approach to take on other categories of disorders in the newest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). According to Baron-Cohen (2017), ASD can be viewed under the neurodiversity framework because individuals with ASD have neurological differences and yet, are still able to function at a normal capacity given the proper environmental conditions. These two main characteristics that allow

The findings suggest the two conditions, which are now in one category in the new psychiatry diagnostic manual, may be biologically different. Researchers used EEG recordings to measure the amount of signaling occurring between brain areas in children. They have previously used this measure of the brain connectivity to develop a test that should distinguish between children with Autism. Dr. Frank Duffy, a neurologist at Boston Children Hospital said this, “We looked at a group of 26 children with Asperger’s to see whether measures of the brain connectivity would indicate they’re part of autism group or they stood separately.” (Live Science) The study included more than 400 children with autism and 500 normal developing children. At first the test showed that children with Aspergers and those with Autism were similar. They showed weaker connections in the brains left hemisphere than those of normal development. After weeks of testing they came to a few conclusions. People with Aspergers syndrome had significantly less grey matter in front-striatal and cerebellar regions than the average persons. People with this syndrome most likely have generalized alterations in brain development, but this is associated with significant differences from controls in the anatomy and functions of specific brain regions. (Oxford Journals). A defective sensorimotor was also a

Specifically, autism impairs communication and social collaboration. Particularly, there are three categories of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The three categories of autism are classified by the severity of the symptoms. The category most people associate autism with is Autistic Disorder. Many times this form of autism is referred to as “classic autism.” Autistic Disorder symptoms include speech suspensions, strange behaviors and interests, as well as academic impairments. Another form of autism includes Asperger Syndrome. This form of autism deals with symptoms similar to Autistic Disorder, however they are not as severe. Unlike Autistic Disorder, individuals who have Asperger Syndrome rarely have speech and intellectual impairments. Therefore,

There are distinct differences between HFA/Asperger 's syndrome and classical autism. One of the key differences is that those with HFA/AS have IQs that fall within the normal to superior range, whereas those with classical autism belong to the IQ range of below average to average5. Those with

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).