What Does Borderline Autism Mean?

Borderline Autism can be termed as Asperger’s Syndrome or High-functioning Autism. It is one of the most complex developmental disorders to be diagnosed by any specialist. In borderline autism, the child will be displaying many of the symptoms of ASD but not in that severity to be diagnosed fully. In this, people may face certain issues such as social skills, body use, the ability to adapt to transitions, language, and other sensory or developmental issues.

If you need more information or you have a question regarding Borderline Autism, you can discuss it with our HearingSol healthcare professionals, just give us a call on +91-9327901950. We are always here to help you.

The diagnosis can be done on the basis of a battery of developmental screenings, direct observation of the child, and answers given by the parents.

People with borderline autism faces certain challenges in their life. The diagnosis itself is quite complex due to the lack of clear medical tests, therefore doctors have to mainly rely on symptoms shown.

There is one thing which adds to the complexity i.e. certain symptoms of Autism overlap with other psychological disorders of that person.  Having such complexities blended together results in the requirement of a more complex set of diagnostics which has only a 50% accuracy rate because symptoms are transient in nature without any pattern.

Certain symptoms to figure out Borderline Autism

• Difficulty dealing with routine change
• Inappropriate method of playing with toys
• Poor or lack of speech
• Inappropriate laughter or crying
• Oversensitive or under-sensitive to sound
• Inability to relate to children or adults
• The children with borderline autism have difficulty in making eye contact and non-verbal communication, though they want to.
• They often appear self-contained, socially awkward or extremely shy, but still, seem interested in understanding social activities.
• They have marked delay in language development.

Sensory Processing Issues

People with borderline autism may also face some sensory processing issues such as-

• Selective hearing or difficulty hearing
• Trouble focusing and/or concentrating
• Poor gross motor skills
• Don’t like if tickled or cuddled
• Oversensitive to loud sounds
• Unaware of normal touch or pain- often touch others too soft or too hard

How to treat borderline autism?

There are certain therapies for treating borderline autism which include-

• Education and training
• Social Skills Training and Speech-Language Therapy
• Cognitive Behavior Therapy
• Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)
• Sensory Integration/Occupational Therapy
• Medication

PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified)

It was one of many previously different subtypes of autism that were folded into the single diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with the publication of the DSM-5 diagnostic manual in 2013.

In the past, psychologists and psychiatrists generally used the term “pervasive developmental disorders” and “autism spectrum disorders” (ASD) interchangeably.

As such, PDD-NOS became the diagnosis applied to children or adults who are on the autism spectrum but do not fully fit the criteria for another ASD such as autistic disorder (sometimes called “classic” autism) or Asperger syndrome.

Like all types of autism, PDD-NOS can appear in conjunction with a wide spectrum of intellectual ability. Its specify features are significant challenges in social and language development.

As a diagnosis, PDD-NOS remains almost new, dating back only 15 years or so. As a result, some physicians and educators may not be recognizable with the term or may use it wrongly.

The current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) spells out the benchmark for a diagnosis of PDD-NOS. Unfortunately, this information contains a single paragraph, which mainly asserts what it is not:

“This category should be used when there is strict and pervasive impairment in the development of reciprocal social interaction associated with impairment in either verbal or nonverbal communication skills or with the existence of stereotyped behavior, interests, and activities, but the criteria are not met for a specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Schizophrenia, Schizotypal Personality Disorder, or Avoidant Personality Disorder.

Sub-groups of PDD-NOS

More helpful, perhaps, are studies suggesting that persons with PDD-NOS can be arranged in various subgroups:

A high-functioning group contains around 25 percent whose symptoms largely go beyond with that of Asperger syndrome, but who alter in terms of having a lag in language development and mild cognitive impairment. (Asperger syndrome does not commonly contain speech delay or cognitive impairment).

A second group contains around 25 percent whose symptoms more closely resemble those of autistic disorder, but do not fully meet all its diagnostic signs and symptoms.

A third group contains around 50 percent who meet all the diagnostic criteria for autistic disorder, but whose stereotypical and repetitive behaviors are noticeably mild.

If you need more information or you have a question regarding Borderline Autism, you can discuss it with our HearingSol healthcare professionals, just give us a call on +91-9327901950. We are always here to help you.