Interesting new study about the 4 types of autism

[Anonymous]

This is so interesting and I’m glad it’s being done. I’ve long thought that they were grouping what are probably several different conditions with different causes under th same umbrella. I’d also bet there is a viral trigger for the subtype with a later manifestation.

Diabetes researchers are also exploring different genetic subtypes of Type 2 Diabetes that have different causes and maybe different treatments.

[Anonymous]

Why do I still feel like my kid doesn't fit a category? Which one is PDA autism?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do I still feel like my kid doesn't fit a category? Which one is PDA autism?

NP. I think that PDA is separate or a specific combination of ADHD and ASD (and anxiety) rather than a subset of ASD as some call it now. That's my personal opinion based upon my DC. In this study, I think it would be category 5. Or maybe the first one.

[Anonymous]

I wonder if my ASD Level 1-er is Mixed. I am pretty sure her dad and his mom have it but they were developmentally on track and otherwise successful (though awkward).

[Anonymous]

I am thrilled at this development, as a parent of a child with "mild" autism, because it offers a path for both better understanding the specific challenges my kid faces, and also possibly to make it easier to identify the appropriate supports and therapies.

Here are the categories (my summary from the Princeton Engineering article):

Social and Behavioral Challenges. Show core autism traits (including social challenges and repetitive behaviors), but meet developmental milestones on time. Often co-occurring with ADHD, anxiety, OCD, and other disorders.

Mixed ASD with Developmental Delay. Mixed presentation of autism traits (may have repetitive behaviors but not social challenges, or vice versa). Tends to reach developmental milestones like walking and talking later than is typical.

Moderate Challenges. Show core autism behaviors but but less strongly than other groups. Meet developmental milestones all time. Does not tend to co-occur with other conditions such as ADHD and anxiety.

Broadly Affected. More extreme and wide-ranging presentation of autism behaviors. Includes not only social issues and repetitive behaviors, but also communication issues, and is very likely to co-occur with other psychiatric disorders, including mood disorders.

The last group, what people would think of as classic autism prior to the recent expansion of the category to include a broader range of behaviors, was the smallest group in the kids they studied (just 10% of participants got this classification).

My kid would probably be categorized in the first group. One thing I really like about the categories is that it's not a strict continuum from "mild" to "severe". Rather, they are looking at three metrics (severity of autism behaviors, developmental impacts, and co-occurring diagnoses) to group kids by the types of challenges they may face. This is much more useful than trying to explain my kid has "mild to moderate" autism which doesn't really capture what is going on.

I could also see this being useful in the conversation about when it is appropriate or beneficial to mainstream kids and when they may be better off in a specialized classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do I still feel like my kid doesn't fit a category? Which one is PDA autism?

NP. I think that PDA is separate or a specific combination of ADHD and ASD (and anxiety) rather than a subset of ASD as some call it now. That's my personal opinion based upon my DC. In this study, I think it would be category 5. Or maybe the first one.

A lot of kids also have some coordination disorder. I think this study is missing some of the key features of autism. I wish they would just diagnose by skill and severity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do I still feel like my kid doesn't fit a category? Which one is PDA autism?

I think it would depend on whether there are (1) developmental delays, and (2) how severe your child's autism behaviors are. If there are delays but the behaviors are not severe, they probably belong in the mixed category. If no delays and the behaviors are not severe, it's the "Social and Behavioral Challenges" category, with the PDA as a co-occurring diagnosis. If the behaviors are severe (whether there are delays or not) then they are in the "Broadly Affected" category.

[Anonymous]

They need to bring back onset before age 3, that would solve everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am thrilled at this development, as a parent of a child with "mild" autism, because it offers a path for both better understanding the specific challenges my kid faces, and also possibly to make it easier to identify the appropriate supports and therapies.

Here are the categories (my summary from the Princeton Engineering article):

Social and Behavioral Challenges. Show core autism traits (including social challenges and repetitive behaviors), but meet developmental milestones on time. Often co-occurring with ADHD, anxiety, OCD, and other disorders.

Mixed ASD with Developmental Delay. Mixed presentation of autism traits (may have repetitive behaviors but not social challenges, or vice versa). Tends to reach developmental milestones like walking and talking later than is typical.

Moderate Challenges. Show core autism behaviors but but less strongly than other groups. Meet developmental milestones all time. Does not tend to co-occur with other conditions such as ADHD and anxiety.

Broadly Affected. More extreme and wide-ranging presentation of autism behaviors. Includes not only social issues and repetitive behaviors, but also communication issues, and is very likely to co-occur with other psychiatric disorders, including mood disorders.

The last group, what people would think of as classic autism prior to the recent expansion of the category to include a broader range of behaviors, was the smallest group in the kids they studied (just 10% of participants got this classification).

My kid would probably be categorized in the first group. One thing I really like about the categories is that it's not a strict continuum from "mild" to "severe". Rather, they are looking at three metrics (severity of autism behaviors, developmental impacts, and co-occurring diagnoses) to group kids by the types of challenges they may face. This is much more useful than trying to explain my kid has "mild to moderate" autism which doesn't really capture what is going on.

I could also see this being useful in the conversation about when it is appropriate or beneficial to mainstream kids and when they may be better off in a specialized classroom.

This is the stupidest breakdown I’ve ever seen. It’s like they don’t even know what ASD is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They need to bring back onset before age 3, that would solve everything.

That was the dividing line between "Asperger's" and "classic" (or Kanner) autism, wasn't it? But they did away with those categories.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is so interesting and I’m glad it’s being done. I’ve long thought that they were grouping what are probably several different conditions with different causes under th same umbrella. I’d also bet there is a viral trigger for the subtype with a later manifestation.

Diabetes researchers are also exploring different genetic subtypes of Type 2 Diabetes that have different causes and maybe different treatments.

Interesting, my daughter, who also has OCD, anxiety and ADHD and did not develop the “social tendencies” until later and did so after contracting EBV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I skimmed through the Nature study very quickly. It divided ASD into 4 groups which were basically Mild, Severe and two in the middle. I'll read it more thoroughly later on.

Which one is caused by 81 shot vaccine regimen plus multiple mRNA shots?

None. According to many, many studies. But not getting vaccines causes death, so there's that.

+1

None of the people I know above 70 are anti-vac. They remember relatives and classmates being disabled or even dying from preventable diseases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am thrilled at this development, as a parent of a child with "mild" autism, because it offers a path for both better understanding the specific challenges my kid faces, and also possibly to make it easier to identify the appropriate supports and therapies.

Here are the categories (my summary from the Princeton Engineering article):

Social and Behavioral Challenges. Show core autism traits (including social challenges and repetitive behaviors), but meet developmental milestones on time. Often co-occurring with ADHD, anxiety, OCD, and other disorders.

Mixed ASD with Developmental Delay. Mixed presentation of autism traits (may have repetitive behaviors but not social challenges, or vice versa). Tends to reach developmental milestones like walking and talking later than is typical.

Moderate Challenges. Show core autism behaviors but but less strongly than other groups. Meet developmental milestones all time. Does not tend to co-occur with other conditions such as ADHD and anxiety.

Broadly Affected. More extreme and wide-ranging presentation of autism behaviors. Includes not only social issues and repetitive behaviors, but also communication issues, and is very likely to co-occur with other psychiatric disorders, including mood disorders.

The last group, what people would think of as classic autism prior to the recent expansion of the category to include a broader range of behaviors, was the smallest group in the kids they studied (just 10% of participants got this classification).

My kid would probably be categorized in the first group. One thing I really like about the categories is that it's not a strict continuum from "mild" to "severe". Rather, they are looking at three metrics (severity of autism behaviors, developmental impacts, and co-occurring diagnoses) to group kids by the types of challenges they may face. This is much more useful than trying to explain my kid has "mild to moderate" autism which doesn't really capture what is going on.

I could also see this being useful in the conversation about when it is appropriate or beneficial to mainstream kids and when they may be better off in a specialized classroom.

Thanks for this. My kid would fall under the first category. She doesn't have expressive language delays (just pragmatic) or intellectual disabilities, so wouldn't fall in the broadly affected category, but has social difficulties, executive dysfunction, and restrictive interests that make life far more difficult than the "smart and quirky" Asperger's types. No one who talks to her for 10 minutes would doubt the autism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I read about the four sub-types in the summary, it really brings to mind the disorder formerly known as “Aspberger’s,” and then ASD level 1–2-3 in that order. I would like to see the “social and behavioral challenges” group that has at least average IQ, reaches developmental milestones, and struggles with anxiety, OCD, ADHD etc. as a completely separate diagnosis from ASD. I get that they are the largest group in terms of size, but their challenges are soooo much different from kids who use communication devices, have multiple learning disabilities, low IQ, can’t be in regular school classes, and so on. And it’s diluting care and resources from those who most need it. I also think ASD is being over-diagnosed in older kids, teens, young adults, and even adults, because it’s somehow easier to accept an autism diagnosis vs. some combination of OCD-anxiety-depression-ADHD giving you a somewhat “difficult” personality.

Many in that group are not getting autism specific “care”. They’re getting treatment for their anxiety, ADHD, OCD. There’s no “care” except for social skills that can really be provided. I don’t see how this is diluting resources to children with more significant needs, it’s a completely different care regimen.

+1

I have a DS with an ASD/formerly Asperger's diagnosis. He has mild needs and is not taking care, resources, or attention away from more severe people. He has a 504 at school, which is minimal. That's it. I have another DS with ADHD and GAD, who may have OCD also. He is taking up minimal resources for those but not taking away care and resources from those with more severe ASD needs.

And let's face it. This should not be a zero sum game. As much as there is spent on a whole list of other things worldwide, or locally in our schools and communities, the pie should be bigger for those anywhere on the Autism Spectrum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am thrilled at this development, as a parent of a child with "mild" autism, because it offers a path for both better understanding the specific challenges my kid faces, and also possibly to make it easier to identify the appropriate supports and therapies.

Here are the categories (my summary from the Princeton Engineering article):

Social and Behavioral Challenges. Show core autism traits (including social challenges and repetitive behaviors), but meet developmental milestones on time. Often co-occurring with ADHD, anxiety, OCD, and other disorders.

Mixed ASD with Developmental Delay. Mixed presentation of autism traits (may have repetitive behaviors but not social challenges, or vice versa). Tends to reach developmental milestones like walking and talking later than is typical.

Moderate Challenges. Show core autism behaviors but but less strongly than other groups. Meet developmental milestones all time. Does not tend to co-occur with other conditions such as ADHD and anxiety.

Broadly Affected. More extreme and wide-ranging presentation of autism behaviors. Includes not only social issues and repetitive behaviors, but also communication issues, and is very likely to co-occur with other psychiatric disorders, including mood disorders.

The last group, what people would think of as classic autism prior to the recent expansion of the category to include a broader range of behaviors, was the smallest group in the kids they studied (just 10% of participants got this classification).

My kid would probably be categorized in the first group. One thing I really like about the categories is that it's not a strict continuum from "mild" to "severe". Rather, they are looking at three metrics (severity of autism behaviors, developmental impacts, and co-occurring diagnoses) to group kids by the types of challenges they may face. This is much more useful than trying to explain my kid has "mild to moderate" autism which doesn't really capture what is going on.

I could also see this being useful in the conversation about when it is appropriate or beneficial to mainstream kids and when they may be better off in a specialized classroom.

Thanks for the summary. This is helpful!