Developmental Differences Between Autistic Children And Normal Child De

Autism is an intricate developmental disability that characteristically appears during the first three years of life. The consequence of a neurological disorder that involves the functioning of the brain, autism affects the normal growth of the brain in the region of social interaction and communication skills. Autism literally means living in terms of the self. To an observer, a child in a state of autism appears to be self-centred since he shows little response to the outside world. However, paradoxically, the child in such a state has little awareness of being a 'self'. (Tustin, 1972, p. 1) Children and adults with autism normally have problems in verbal and non-verbal contact, social communications, and leisure or play activities. Autism is one of five disorders coming under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by "severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development," including social interact ion and communications skills (DMS-IV-TR). The five disorders under PDD are Autistic Disorder, Asperger's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD), Rett's Disorder, and PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). Autism is a spectrum disorder. In the normal autism of early infancy there are the components from which this can take place but which are not developed. In 'total' pathological autism there has been such a profound arrest or regression that the building of this inner construct has been impeded or impaired so that the child is completely out of touch with the outside world and with people. Reaction to the outside world and people is in terms of bodily functions, organs and zones. (Tustin, 1972, p. 178) The indications and characteristi... ...ng autism, autistic children most of the time have himerosal, mercury and neuro-developmental disorders as well that can not be found in normal children at the same time. The small differences in mercury exposure and detoxification ability drive huge differences in the brain development of small autistic children as compared to normal children. Children less than 5 years old with autism might repeat actions over and over again, and they might have trouble if family routines change. But he normal children of the same age don’t have such problems. References Fisher, James T. "CHARLIE'S WORLD : A family battles autism." Commonweal 8 Sept. 2000: 13. Questia. 5 Sept. 2003 . Tustin, Frances. Autism and Childhood Psychosis. London: Karnac Books, 1972. Autistic Children May Retain Mercury, September 5, 2003, http://www.monitor.net/monitor/0307a/austisticmercury.html