What is Classic Autism?

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Hello. There's something which I'm a little confused about. Most people are saying that Classic Autism, just means general autism (not something more specific like PDD NOS or Asperger), but there are other things which seem to say it's just a sinimen of severe autism. Others say it refers to the mid functioning form of autism. Can anyone explain this to me. My mum seems to think it means more severe (but not profound), since the doctor fist said I had it, but later said I had HFA. But aparently, HFA (inless your speaking about the other meaning of aspergers) is still Classic Autism, but just high functioning. How odes this work? Is it a contivershal subject? Or does it have 2 meanings like HFA?

Classical autism is what the ICD call "childhood autism" (code F84.0) and the DSM "Autistic Disorder" (code 299.0)

Exactly what TPE2 said.

It's also called "infantile autism" and "kanner's autism" a lot.

classic autism is the syndrome described in austrian expatriot leo kanner's autistic efective contact disorder written in 1943 at john hopkins university.children with a delay or no speech and lack of interest in people.also precosiously developed fine motor dexterity.aspergers means good speech but poor motor skills and in CDD good speech and body movement but loss of both later in childhood

But if Classic Autism means simply Kanners then how come so many people are saying it means severe? I don't get it!

also PDD-NOS is not a form of autism it is a label given when a persons autism is not clearly definable in a formal catagory

It's still a form of autism; it's a part of the autistic spectrum.

it's a stereotype.

people associate lack of speech with severity.

people that lack speech more often get the label 'classic autism' because they wouldn't fit Asperger's.

The whole argument is one of the reasons I believe in the sliding scale spectrum, because unlike some medical conditions, with autism, one size does not fit all.

Why so many people are saying it: Because most people don't think about it as much as you do.

They don't care about all the details of autism or not care enough to sit down and read it up on wikipedia, read a book or research it in depth. They don't feel like they need to know more than they already know, because they are interested in other things.

That doesn't mean they won't voice an opinion about it when asked. Lots of people feel they will get ridiculed if they say "I don't know much about it" or "I'm not sure if this is really true or not". Even teachers and doctors don't always admit to that they aren't sure, but will pretend they are absolutely sure. If nobody who knows better overhears them and corrects them, they'll never be the wiser about autism.

That said, you only get more knowledgeable if you ask about what you don't know. Or ask about something you know but want to be sure of. Asking questions like that is a good thing.

In my old IEP records from when I was five, it kept mentioning I wasn't classically autistic but I have the behavior and I wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean. That I was autistic but not classic or I wasn't autistic but acted like it. Back then my diagnoses had been changed to autistic behavior because of my hearing loss I had as a baby.

But I will never know for sure what my teachers meant whoever wrote that.

Classic autism, AKA autistic disorder: (I've bolded the ones that apply to me)

(I) A total of six (or more) items from (A), (B), and (C), with at least two from (A), and one each from (B) and (C)

(A) qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:

1. marked impairments in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body posture, and gestures to regulate social interaction
2. failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
3. a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people, (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)
4. lack of social or emotional reciprocity ( note: in the description, it gives the following as examples: not actively participating in simple social play or games, preferring solitary activities, or involving others in activities only as tools or "mechanical" aids )

(B) qualitative impairments in communication as manifested by at least one of the following:
1. delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gesture or mime)
2. in individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
3. stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language
4. lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level

(C) restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities, as manifested by at least two of the following:
1. encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
2. apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals
3. stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
4. persistent preoccupation with parts of objects

(II) Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years:
(A) social interaction
(B) language as used in social communication
(C) symbolic or imaginative play

(III) The disturbance is not better accounted for by Rett's Disorder or Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

Note that Leo Kanner's case studies actually differ from this description:

http://ballastexistenz.wordpress.com/20 ... torically/

it is a more severe condition because it affects speech.kanners syndrome is more severe than aspergers

And yet someone diagnosed with autism can be less severe than someone diagnosed with AS. Also, there's a ton of research showing that people diagnosed with AS do have impaired speech and communication, they just don't have a delay in learning to talk.

a person dx as pdd-nos is definatley autistic but the specific type of autism they have is unknown.pervasive developmental disorder not other wise specified.when i was 14 they said i had PDD-NOS.when i was 18 they specified my developmental disorder as aspergers syndrome.does that make sense