Common PDD Autism Signs and Symptoms



Posted: Thursday, April 05, 2007

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http://www.essential-guide-to-autism.com?source=sw

There are some children with pervasive development disorders (PDD) who have been misdiagnosed with something other than autism. They were often picked on by classmates, and many were called strange, weird, or painfully shy. Some were teased and others were ignored. Classic autism is easy to pick out, but for the longest time, these children who were teased actually had PDD autism, but it was one of the higher functioning types.

They were misunderstood until recently. Now these children have the benefit of proper diagnosis, and understanding. There are programs that can help them lead a more ‘normal’ life.

It should be noted that the word ‘normal’ is not used here in a derogatory fashion as, what is normal for some is not for others, and that is what makes people interesting. However, there are average milestones in development that children are expected to reach and those with PDD usually fall outside the realms of these milestones in one or more ways.

Some PPD kids meet a lot of the milestones, but there comes a time when it is obvious that their abilities are impaired in certain areas. Many people with high functioning PDD have learned to love who they are, and even say that PDD makes them who they are. However, even with this great attitude, there are times when they have to adapt in order to interact with others. Luckily, help is out there.

One of the links between almost all children with PDD are the communication barriers they face. These range from being very restrictive to barely noticeable. Some kids never speak, instead they might use hand motions in place of spoken words.

Others can have an extensive vocabulary, but they often take things in the most literal sense, and problems and misunderstandings can happen quite frequently. Others with large vocabularies never use them, and many might not know they understand as well as they do.

Social problems also tend to be issues with children who have one of the PDD’s. It was thought they preferred to be alone, but in reality they very much want to interact with peers. They cannot communicate well in some cases, and have problems holding eye contact. They are socially awkward, and this leads to failed attempts at relating. This is painful for them, and after they have faced this a few times they might then retreat into their own world as opposed to dealing with the frustration of trying to relate with peers. The preference for playing alone is a direct result of this type of anxiety.

Most children with PDD autism will have received an official diagnosis by age four, though some slip through the net until they are in school, where the differences with other kids is highlighted.

Besides the common problems with communication and socialization, there are other signs and behaviors that these children might have in common. Autistic children have a tendency to repeat motions and seem to do this for long periods of time. They might be more prone to having a tantrum, and these are often over things that would not bother a child who does not have PDD. They can be either hypersensitive or under-sensitive to stimulus. They might startle too often, or ignore the loudest noises. Children with a PDD autism diagnosis will have their own unique set of behaviors. Early diagnosis is by far the best option, as there are now programs that can help them with many of their challenges.

By Rachel Evans. Sign up for a free newsletter for more information on http://www.essential-guide-to-autism.com/?source=sw
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