How to Identify the Different Levels of Autism

Identifying the different levels of autism can be difficult without proper guidance and adequate information. The autism spectrum is not as clear-cut as you might hope, so finding a proper diagnosis may be frustrating for those not adept at identifying autistic disorders. Unfortunately, health care professionals are sometimes misinformed about autistic symptoms and could mislead patients. Following are some easy-to-follow steps to help you identify the different levels of autism and feel comfortable in your assessment.

Instructions

• 1

  Know that there are three levels of autism identified by the "Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV" (DSM-IV): autism (traditional autism), Asperger's syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). Understand that these are not all the same condition and will have varying degrees within each diagnosis.

• 2

  Familiarize yourself with the main areas in which symptoms of spectrum disorders present themselves: communication (verbal and nonverbal), social (interaction with others in both academic and relational environments) and routine or repetitive behaviors (verbal or motor tics, or obsessively following routines or schedules). Note that the spectrum diagnosis the impairment in these categories and this is typically what is tested in an autism spectrum test.

• 3

  Note that autism is the most extreme form of the spectrum disorders and is characterized by significant social and verbal impairment. Autism is the least extreme (although one can have an extreme case of Asperger's). The difference is that individuals with Asperger's can typically learn the necessary social and verbal skills to function relatively well in most environments, although there will be some language impairment and especially an obsessive interest in specific topics.

• 4

  Understand that PDD is a word that is used interchangeably with autism spectrum to describe neurological differences that contribute to a specific set of symptoms. Read the DSM-IV to help you distinguish between Asperger's symptoms and full-blown autism. Autism is generally characterized by having a significant delay in verbal skills, whereas people with Asperger's tend to not experience these delays.

• 5

  Check with a learned and knowledgeable developmental learning specialist to make a final decision on where the person in question falls on the autism spectrum. Ensure the individual is given the full standard version of the autism spectrum test, and use this against the knowledge you know of the person and her developmental patterns.