Special educational programs using behavioral methods have proven to be the most helpful treatment. Asperger s Disorder characterized by impairments in social interactions and the presence of restricted interests and activities, with no clinically significant general delay in language, and testing in the range of average to above average intelligence. Rett s Disorder a progressive disorder which, to date, has occurred only in girls. Period of normal development and then loss of previously acquired skills, loss of purposeful use of the hands replaced with repetitive hand movements beginning at the age of 1-4 years. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder characterized by normal development for at least the first 2 years, significant loss of previously acquired skills.
Autism is a spectrum disorder .
In other words, the symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe. Although autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors, children and adults can exhibit any combination of the behaviors in any degree of severity . Two children, both with the same diagnosis, can act very differently from one another and have varying skills. Unlike autism, many of those other conditions and disorders are curable. You should be careful to make sure that these other possibilities are ruled out when a diagnosis of autism is considered.