Autism Is But One Part of a Complex Personality Structure

April is Autism Awareness Month. To review: Autism is one of the five pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) listed in the DSM 5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) which provides diagnostic guidelines for mental health professionals. Autism is characterized by difficulties in social interactions, a narrow and particular range of interests and repetitive behaviors. Although it is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, research has yet to identify the differences in the brain that determine what makes people with autism different from the norm. Since the combination of attributes can be extremely different from one individual to another, autism is described as being on a “spectrum”, depending on how much a person is affected. When coupled with other disabilities, like intellectual disability, a seizure disorder, or a brain injury, for example, it can have a profoundly limiting effect on someone’s life.  Such individuals may require services of others for the rest of their life. Their severely restricted communication and/or social skills make it difficult to impossible to communicate their wants and needs. Their narrow range of interests doesn’t help them to be functional members of society. Repetitive behaviors such as finger snapping or arm flapping separate them even more from comfortable social connections. Elly is an example of a person on this end of the spectrum. She is nonverbal. She loves to look at fashion magazine...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Aspergers Autism Communication anti-vaccination Asperger Syndrome Autism Awareness Month Autism Spectrum Disability polio Stereotypes Stigma Source Type: blogs