There are various types of autism and even one type cannot exactly be grouped into one single category, because there are as many categories of autism as there are people suffering from autism! To make it more complex, some autistic individuals look to be quite normal at first glance, whereas some others obviously look to be mentally challenged. Some types of autism can be treated with early diagnosis and therapy, whereas some other severe cases may never respond to treatment.
Because autism is so wide-ranging, it becomes difficult to define the particular type of autism. However, there is one way to assess to what severity the disorder may be affecting the individual. Many professionals may not accept this method and this is not mentioned in many books either, but autistic individuals could be divided on the basis of IQ level. Those having an IQ of lesser than 80 are categorized as to be in the 'low-functioning' autism (LFA) group and those who have score 80 or above in their IQ test are put in the category of 'high-functioning autism' (HFA).
IQ levels notwithstanding, the thing that really defines the level of autism is how independent the sufferer is and how well he can take care of himself. That is why the concept of using IQ tests to categorize autistic individuals remains controversial to date.
Many high IQ autistic individuals may actually find it very difficult to carry on independently with their daily lives, whereas low IQ victims may face minimal trouble with their condition. Hence the above cannot be regarded as a suitable yardstick to measure the type of degree of autism in an individual.
Asperger's and Kanner's syndrome
Both Asperger's syndrome and the autistic disorder, Kanner's syndrome are developmental disorders. In the latest scenario, the major difference between them is that Kanner's syndrome shows more typical and intense symptoms of the autistic disorder.
Kanner's syndrome shows an apparent 'slowing down' of the child's skills, delay in speech development and abnormal functioning in the child's social and/or psychological behavior. The child shows no interest in his environment and does not play with his toys or other children around. The symptoms of Kanner's syndrome show up by the time the child is 3 years old.
Asperger's syndrome, on the other hand, does not record any marked 'significant clinical delay' in the child's development. This is by far the milder form of autism, which responds well to therapy as well. This is the reason why some schools of thought use the terms 'Asperger's syndrome' and 'high-functioning autism' interchangeably.
Autism spectrum disorders
Some experts are of the view that autism is closely related to disorders such as Asperger's syndrome and Sensory Integration Dysfunction, which involves degeneration of the capability to integrate the information received from the sense organs.
Though some people believe that all these conditions overlap and there is some common genetic trigger that gives rise to these conditions, nothing can be said about it definitely. At present, researchers are still trying to find the exact trigger for these other related disorders.
Melissa Fox is a health professional very interested in Early Signs of Autism. She enjoys writing inspirational articles for Real Living. To learn more about various Types Of Autism please visit www.CausesOfAutism.org
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