Kanner's Syndrome This type of autism is also known as Classic Autistic Disorder, and its symptoms can include challenges communicating or understanding others, engaging in virtually no eye contact, and a hypersensitivity to stimuli (smell, light, noise, taste, or touch).
It is characterised by impairments in reciprocal social interaction and communication, restricted and stereotyped patterns of interests and activities, and the presence of developmental abnormalities by 3 years of age.
This form of autism is often referred to as Classic Autistic Disorder, and its symptoms can include difficulties comprehending or connecting with others, making hardly any eye contact, and being too sensitive to stimuli (smell, light, noise, taste, or touch).
Kanner syndrome can sometimes manifest itself early in childhood. Infants may not speak, avoid eye contact, or respond to audio or verbal stimulation, leading parents to wonder if their child is deaf. Babies with the syndrome frequently exhibit expressionless and do not respond to others facial expressions.
In 1943, Leo Kanner published the first systematic description of early infantile autism. He concluded that this was a neurodevelopmental disorder and that 'these children have come into the world with an innate inability to form the usual, biologically provided contact with people'.
The children's apparent aloofness and isolation from the human world led him to coin the phrase 'autistic aloneness'. ' Autism' comes from the Greek word 'autos' for self, and means being absorbed into oneself.
The pioneers in research into autism were Hans Asperger and Leo Kanner. They were working separately in the 1940's. Asperger described very able children while Kanner described children who were severely affected. Their views remained useful for physicians for the next three decades.
Kanner's Syndrome
This type of autism is also known as Classic Autistic Disorder, and its symptoms can include challenges communicating or understanding others, engaging in virtually no eye contact, and a hypersensitivity to stimuli (smell, light, noise, taste, or touch).
Unlike Kanner who emphasized the importance of autism as a developmental condition, Asperger described behaviors that more closely resembled a personality disorder and reported that fathers of his cases showed similar problems.
There were also significant differences, first being the subjects' apparent functioning. Asperger's subjects pos- sessed clear, precise speech and good cognitive skills. Several of Kanner's subjects did not speak at all or were minimally verbal. Most had cognitive impairments.
Level 1 Autism
Level 1 is typically classified as “mild” autism, as autistic people at Level 1 have the lowest support needs. For an autistic person to be considered Level 1, they must have low support needs for both communication and behaviors.
Autism is very distinct from ADHD, but the core symptoms of ADHD-Combined type, i.e., attention deficit, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, would appear to also be features of autism. ASD and ADHD are neurobiological disorders characterized by similar underlying neuropsychological “deficits”.
Long-term research that involved following a group of individuals with autism for two decades indicates that the average life expectancy for some autistic people is about 39 years. Furthermore, this population generally succumbed to health complications about 20 years earlier than individuals who do not have autism.
The most common signs include problems with back-and-forth conversation, trouble with social relationships, repetitive actions, self-stimulating behaviors, limited interests, and being very sensitive.
Low functioning autism, on the other hand, refers to those individuals who cannot even perform simple, daily tasks by themselves. They have a more difficult time learning coping mechanisms and controlling their symptoms.
When it comes to Asperger's vs. autism, Asperger's generally features less severe symptoms and more higher functioning. Despite no longer being a separate diagnosis, Asperger's remains an accurate description of the symptoms and characteristics of some people on the Autism Spectrum.
The symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome are now included in a condition called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ASD is now the name used for a wide range of autism-like disorders. Some providers may still use the term Asperger's Syndrome, but others will say “ASD – without intellectual or language impairment.”
Starting in the 1990s, milder forms were recognized, including Asperger's syndrome (now called high-functioning autism). Then in 2013, the American Psychiatric Association grouped all autism-related disorders together as ASD. Still, you may hear some people who aren't doctors continue to use terms like Asperger's.
There are five major types of autism which include Asperger's syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, Kanner's syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder – not otherwise specified.
The 5 different types of autism include Asperger's syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, Kanner's syndrome, and PDD-NOS.
The Triad of Impairments:
People with significant difficulties in all 3 areas (social interaction, communication and imagination) may have ASD. However, there can be other reasons for difficulties in these areas.
Increased awareness and screening efforts may reveal why autism is becoming more common. It might seem like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is more prevalent nowadays than it was 10 or 20 years ago. Statistics from health organizations suggest that autism spectrum disorder diagnoses are on the rise.
Due to its lower prevalence in females, autism was always thought to have a maternal inheritance component. However, research also suggests that the rarer variants associated with autism are mostly inherited from the father. Ultimately, autism is a complex condition with 100s of genes involved.