Understanding Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Autism Spectrum

Pervasive Developmental Disorders

Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) are characterized by significant difficulties in several areas of development, including social interaction, communication, behavior, interests, and activities.

Rett Syndrome

Rett syndrome is primarily diagnosed in girls. Development appears normal until 6-18 months, when parents notice a regression or loss of skills (gross motor, language, reasoning, and hand use). Repetitive, meaningless gestures (e.g., hand washing) may appear.

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder is an extremely rare disorder involving regression in multiple areas of functioning (e.g., motor skills, bowel and bladder control, and social and language skills) after at least two years of apparently normal development.

Autistic Disorder (Autism)

Autistic Disorder is four times more common in boys than in girls. It involves moderate to severe problems with communication, socialization, and behavior. Many children with autism also have intellectual disabilities.

Diagnostic Criteria for Autistic Disorder

Difficulties in social interaction and communication are key diagnostic criteria. These include:

• Delays or absence of oral language (without attempts to compensate through alternative communication like gestures).
• In individuals with adequate speech, noticeable problems initiating or sustaining conversations.
• Stereotyped and repetitive language use, or idiosyncratic language.
• Restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities.

Asperger's Disorder

• Lack of social skills
• Difficulty with social relationships
• Low coordination
• Poor concentration
• Restricted range of interests, but with normal or above-normal intelligence
• Normal language skills in vocabulary and grammar
• No significant delay in language development, but difficulty understanding subtleties in conversation, such as irony or humor.

Main Affected Areas in Asperger Syndrome

• Social interaction
• Communication
• Concerns and limited range of interests
• Repetitive routines, rituals, and inflexibility

Educational Intervention in Autism: Teaching What?

• Choose appropriate target behaviors or strategies.
• Identify "triggers" for development and implement teaching objectives to build upon new developments.
• Mastery of normal development: Understanding how a typical child develops in interaction with others is essential for planning educational programs for students with autism.

How to Teach?

• Behavioral technology, derived from learning theories, remains a valid tool for teaching these students.
• Structuring and systematizing teaching units is fundamental for students with autism to learn effectively.

Why Teach?

As in any teaching context, the goal is to promote maximum personal development to achieve a better quality of life.

Technical Assistance and its Use in Educational Treatment

1. Always keep the educational needs of people with autism in mind to guide interventions.
2. The computer becomes an effective tool for working towards objectives.
3. Objectives are primarily focused on improving communication, socialization, and behavior, addressing moderate to severe challenges.
4. Contrary to some beliefs, computing resources do not further isolate people with this disorder; instead, they can aid social interaction. Their attractiveness, versatility, and ease of use facilitate immediate integration with the machine.