Atypical Autism Overview

The inclusion of the word atypical means that it extends beyond expected paradigms. In a medical sense the word means that it leans toward a condition, and must be regarded as such, but it has symptoms that manifest themselves in an unusual way. That describes atypical autism.

Officially those who have some of the symptoms of autism, without displaying all of them in a typical way are known as Pervasive Development Disorder/Not Otherwise Specified, or PDD NOS. Atypical autism is a sub-division of PDD NOS. Even when autism is typical, each individual displays different highly individual traits. Even two sufferers in the same family will be completely different. Because of this symptoms are classified within separate divisions

• Social impairment
• Language impairment
• Imaginative impairment
• Dysfunctional sensory integration.

All autism sufferers must visibly display some of these characteristics. Social impairment means that the inability to relate to people on a purely social basis. Autistic sufferers do not need friends; they speak in monosyllables, and avoid social contact. As they cannot relate they have a language impairment that often makes them refer to themselves in the third person, he, she or it. There speech is very literal and pedantic, as they cannot understand conceptual thought or non-verbal communication. There imagination is limited which means they fail to grasp the simplest of symbols, they are far to literal to think of symbols, as they tend to concentrate on specific and irrelevant details, seeing the “big picture” is impossible. When they are placed outside a very specific routine they are unable to function. Sensory integration dysfunction often leads to a strange mix of clothes, odd socks, or a complete lack of colour coordination. Autistics often display a strange preference for food, as they cannot distinguish between hot and cold, they can have the two mixed.

When someone displays these traits they are diagnosed as having one of the conditions within the autistic spectrum. They do not always have all the criteria, the symptoms may happen after they are three, or they have symptoms in fewer areas they are regarded as suffering from atypical autism

Atypical autism is treated symptom by symptom as the greatest advances and improvements have been made when there is specific focus on specific behavior. Atypical autism treatment may be group learning, as some atypical autism sufferers can learn and benefit from a group atmosphere. Others need the benefit of intensive and repetitive one to one sessions. Some children can deal with normal children after they have been warned what to expect. Others who take onboard the idea of literal meaning to the extreme will benefit by being deprived on contact with normal children. They can find the interaction just too confusing, and it reinforces a sense of inadequacy, as they cannot cope.

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