Diagnosing Autism - Is It Really Autism?

With it featuring so heavily in the media (and rightly so) a fear
that many parents have is the possibility that their child or
children may be diagnosed with autism or may have been
misdiagnosed.

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Its important to get a professional diagnosis to make certain
that there isn't something else causing autistic-like behaviors to
occur.

There are a number of other related health conditions and disorders
similar in nature to Autism that are commonly misinterpreted and
misdiagnosed.

Misdiagnosis of autism can occur among the various autism spectrum
disorders, or symptoms can be due to completely unrelated
condition.

Therefore as a parent you should make sure to share all
observations and any concerns with your child's doctor so that
possible alternate diagnoses are given the appropriate attention.

There are five conditions within the autism spectrum, and each of
them can easily be mistaken for another. These are:

1. Rett's Syndrome
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This is a condition found only in girls which was discovered back
in 1966. It is currently believed by scientists that this is not
an inherited condition, but is the result of a random genetic
mutation. Symptoms of Rett's Syndrome do not become apparent in
babies until 6 to 18 months of age.

When Rett's Syndrome starts to become apparent, development begins
to slow and the children's heads no longer grow in the usual way.
Normal speech does not develop and repetitive hand movements,
unusual walking patterns, and torso shaking begin. Children with
Rett's Syndrome also frequently experience seizures, breathing
problems, rigid muscles, retarded growth, and other health issues.

2. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
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This disorder almost always occurs in boys, and is extremely rare.
Until the age of about 42 months, the child appears to be normal,
but a dramatic linguistic and social skill loss then occurs. The
child may also start experiencing seizures and lose bladder and
bowel control. Typically, these children experience low
intellectual development. CDD is the easiest of the autism
spectrum disorders for doctors to diagnose.

3. Autism
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Autism itself is often referred to as Classic Autism, Kanner's
Autism, or Early Infantile Autism. Until its recognition in the
1940's, children with autism had been diagnosed as emotionally
disturbed or mentally retarded.

Autistic children show many different kinds of symptoms that also
occur in other physical and mental disorders, making it easy to
misdiagnose. Among them are issues with sensory integration and
information processing, leading to a series of different kinds of
behaviors.

4. Asperger's Syndrome
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Children with Asperger's Syndrome are frequently mistaken for
children with 'high-functioning' autism.

The syndrome does not typically present itself until after three
years of age, as these children tend not to show any issues with
language acquisition and use. Instead, they commonly form extreme
interests in narrow subjects, and are often known for frequent
(though not universal) ability to recite full book texts or movie
lines, as well as a seemingly endless line of trivial facts.

Some autism-like traits may present themselves, such as the desire
for a strict routine, a struggle with social interactions and
communication, and an inclination toward repetitive behaviors.
Some also struggle with vocal control.

5. Pervasive Development Disorder (Not Otherwise Specified)
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PDD/NOS symptoms are difficult to classify. This portion of the
autism spectrum is essentially used as a "catch-all" diagnosis for
children who present symptoms of autism that cannot be contained by
the other four autism spectrum disorders.

Beyond the autism spectrum disorder, other disorders and health
problems that can often cause children to display autistic traits -
though they don't actually have autism - are:

- Deafness or hearing loss - children who have a difficulty hearing
may have impaired social responses, causing them to behave in ways
similar to some autistic behaviors.

- Schizophrenia - though some symptoms of this disorder are similar
to those of autism, schizophrenia normally presents much later in
life than autism.

- Language delay, language disorder, or speech delay - children
with linguistic disorders and delays can experience social
impairments as a result of their inability to express themselves.

- Developmental delay or mental retardation - behaviors of
developmentally delayed or mentally retarded children frequently
mimic those of autistic children, but for completely different
reasons. Before the discovery of autism as a disorder many
autistic children were regarded as mentally retarded.

As there are so many different symptoms of autism and the disorder
never presents the same way from person to person, it is easy to
misdiagnose disorders both inside and outside the spectrum as being
attritubutal to autism. This confusion can be especially prevalent
among the various autism spectrum disorders.

To cut through the confusion download your copy of The Essential
Guide to Autism today - just vist the link below:

www.Essential-Guide-to-Autism.com