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Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) that affects brain development primarily in communication, language development and social skills. It is one of five PDDs , which includes Asperger's syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder-not-otherwise-specified (PDD-NOS). Mental retardation, also known as intellectual disability, is a type of developmental disability that produces significant limitations in intellectual functioning ability and adaptive behaviors. These limitations result in problems with reasoning, learning or problem-solving as well as communication and social skills difficulties.
Since autism and intellectual disability share similarities, diagnosis is sometimes difficult in early childhood. The shared symptoms of autism and mental retardation can include the following:
- Early childhood developmental delays
- Limited speech and vocabulary
- Problems understanding verbal instruction and following directions
- Learning difficulties
- Attention problems
- Difficulty communicating with peers
- No pretend play
- Needs life skills training and assistance with self-care and safety
- Echolalia or repeating words and phrases out of context
- Repetitive behavior or stimming activities for self-stimulation, such as hand flapping or rocking back and forth
- Sensory processing issues, which can result in an unusual reaction to a taste, smell, sight or sound
