What are the autistic spectrum disorders (ASD)? Autism spectrum disorders, or ASD, are also called pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) because they involve delay in many areas of development. PDD or ASD is a category that includes five different disorders of development, each with differing severities and patterns:

For more information on ASD and PDD:

What is autism or autistic disorder? Autism is the most common autism spectrum disorder. People with autism have differences in the development of their thinking, language, behavior and social skills. The differences appear before age three, and can be diagnosed by 18 months. For a diagnosis of autism, a child must have a specified number of symptoms in these areas:

If you think your child may have these traits, talk to your health care provider and find out how to have your child evaluated.

What is Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)? PDD-NOS, also called atypical autism or mild autism, means having differences in some of the same areas as in autism, only not to such a great extent. A child with PDD-NOS does not meet the criteria for any other specific PDD/ASD.

What is Asperger syndrome? See YourChild: Asperger syndrome.

What is Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)? See these resources:

How common are the autism spectrum disorders? The Center for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network released data in 2007 that found about 1 in 150 8-year-old children in the areas of the United States they monitor had an ASD1 For more on the numbers: Prevalence of ASDs, from the CDC.

Autism occurs throughout the world in families of all racial, ethnic and social backgrounds. Boys are four times more likely to have autism than girls2.

The MIND Institute in California found that the number of cases of autism is on the rise. This is probably a national trend.

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Autism, Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Pervasive ...