Autism

[skysidhe]

You say asperger curve of behaviors?

You mean autism and aspergers is under the pervasive developmental disorders as is 'non verbal learning syndrome'. There are a specific characteristics yet separate diagnosis.




http://www.apa.org/monitor/dec04/definition.html

"These are kids who talk before they walk," Volkmar says. "Language is their lifeline."
However, notes Volkmar, children with Asperger's syndrome generally do not master the usual give-and-take of conversation. More characteristically, they will drone on about their favorite topics, such as meteorology.
While many children with Asperger's syndrome acquire an impressive vocabulary, children with autism tend to find their strengths in motor skills and manipulating objects, according to ongoing research by Klin and Volkmar. In this study, they are comparing 21 children with Asperger's syndrome with 19 similarly aged children diagnosed as autistic--through all have normal IQs. Both groups took the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children, including tests of their motor and language skills.
The participants with a diagnosis of autism performed well on tasks requiring visual-spatial perception--such as puzzle-solving--or motor skills. Those with Asperger's syndrome tended to show deficits in these areas, though they outperformed the participants with autism on vocabulary, auditory perception and verbal memory tasks.
"Though both of these groups have similar trouble with social functioning, they show different patterns of neuropsychological functioning," says Volkmar.

Non-Verbal Learning

http://www.pediatricneurology.com/autism.htm#Non-Verbal%20Learning%20Disabilities%20(NVLDs)

NVLD kids, though, do typically appear interested in human bonds--even though they may be clueless how to actually achieve them successfully. Additionally, children with Asperger’s more typically have diminished “symbolic play” than in NVLD. For example, the toy school bus is a box that rolls, rather than something that little plastic figures climb into. So, how about this for a gross oversimplification? NVLD kids recognize that you exist while they miss the subtext of what you are saying. Asperger’s kids appear behind a plane of glass as they miss the subtext of what you are saying.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Language problems, or lack of use, and social problems are part of the characteristics.

Maybe I have Asberger Syndrome....as in language problems. My Mother doesn't like my f*ckin' language.

[skysidhe]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Maybe I have Asberger Syndrome....as in language problems. My Mother doesn't like my f*ckin' language.

[mercy]

Its really pathetic. that too in little kids. I pity for them , should be treated well enough to cure them in the earlier stage itself.

[The 42]

There has been a marked increase in cases of Autism in the past couple of decades. Incidencies of PDD and other similar disabilities have increased in incredible amounts.

So have incidences of Asthma, ADD, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, retardation, various deadly allergies such as the peanut allergy, among many other diseases and disorders.

There are so many possible explanations to this weird phenomenon, but it's most likely because of a combination of a bunch of things: more pollution, more synthetic foods, increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics, all the other lovely gifts of living in the twentith/twenty-first century.

Part of it is probably better diagnostics and more alarmist doctors, but definitely not all.

Thank god we at least now have the tools to deal with all these issues, but then, who knows if the tools themselves are contributing to the problem in some oblique way?

[Undertoad]

One leading theory on asthma/allergies is that our environments are too clean.

[jinx]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

One leading theory on asthma/allergies is that our environments are too clean.

The notion that some infections, particularly those acquired in early childhood, may prevent atopy is highly controversial.

More on this...1,2,3

[Undertoad]

Corrected: one leading theory on asthma is that our environments are too clean.

[9th Engineer]

The increase in allergies is probably the part inflamed by better diagnostics, the proper concept of an allergy and doctors with the skill to correctly diagnose it as such is a recent phenominon. ADHD, ADD and other hyperactive disorders might stem from the rapid change in youth lifestyle from very active (farm life) to very sedative (school and TV). Retardation? Well now they live long enough to be diagnosed, you don't want to hear my other theory. The most convincing theory about why the incidences of genetic disorders (far more things have genetic roots than most people think) is that the people carrying these genes are now reproducing with help from the rest of us. Deal with the politial incorrectness when I say we are weakening our gene pool (no Nazi references, just take it at face value). Our immune systems are advancing at nearly the same rate as bacteria and viruses so I don't think it's a big factor in all but a few cases.