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Question
what are the category of autism ?
Hello, Idan!
If I'm not answering this to satisfaction, feel free to add a little more detail to the question. There are a lot of ways you could mean 'categories'.
If we go by the book (so to speak), there are five primary categories in the Autistic Spectrum Disorders (or, as I usually refer to them, ASD). They are also known as PDD, or Pervasive Developmental Disorders. These five are the following:
* Autistic Disorder
* Asperger's Syndrome
* Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
* Rett Syndrome
* PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder: Not Otherwise Specified)
The last one, as you might guess, is a catch-all for 'Symptoms that follow the ASD pattern, but are different enough not to be them'.
Naturally, there are rarer and varying varieties within those five primary areas, though they're best researched by the doctors themselves since most of the time, the difference in treatment may be minimal.
http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_whatis_home
This site has good information on 'What is autism' and should hopefully answer that question better. Googling for the various categories will find you information on them, as well.
Hopefully that answered your question!
Trey
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Answers by Expert:
Trey McGowan
Expertise
My primary expertise is in the area of the social, psychological, and mental development of Aspergers Syndrome and other high-functioning Autistic Spectrum Disorders. I am also very knowledgeable in the communication disorders and common co-existing issues. I'm well-read on most of these as well as having experienced it myself. Other aspects of autism, I can do fairly well at as well, from the oversensitivity to the recognition of it. Warning: I am *not* a medical professional, and while I can research answers through books and online, I can not give direct medical expertise.
Experience
I am 19 years diagnosed Asperger's Autistic, and have been reading up and studying it, as well as taking 'first hand accounts' for most of those 14 years. In addition, I have had three children, adopted elsewhere, all of whom are varying degrees of autistic from mid to high functioning. My mother has done some research on the subject as well, and passed some of it on to me.
Education/Credentials
I have completed grade school and most of high school, and achieved a GED. I've also received home schooling.
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