Understanding the Different Types of Autism

In the last few decades, mental health experts have done much research into the topic of neurodiversity. Recent findings show that there are four different types of autism, all of which happen at the genetic level and cause varying degrees of difficulty. Understanding that there are different types of autism is important because it provides more personalized diagnoses and treatment options.

Whether you are an adult with an autism diagnosis or a parent to a child with autism, you can rest assured that there is an explanation for your experiences and a hope for your struggles.

The Key Components of Autism

Autism, once known as ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a person’s sensory processing abilities, social and communication skills, behavioral patterns, and, in some cases, their milestone development. We know now that autistic behavior falls on a spectrum of traits, struggles, and behaviors. This means that people with autism might share some familiar traits, but they also might act differently from each other.

In a recent study of over 5000 individuals with autism, the experts used three categories to determine how the different types of autism worked and how they affected the subjects of their studies. These categories were based on the key components of autism and how they affect a person’s growth, development, and life.

Firstly, autism may affect a person’s verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ), or their ability to understand and communicate using words. Among some of the different types of autism, people cannot easily formulate words, they may be mute, or else only able to communicate using sounds and hand signals.

The second category for understanding autism is how it affects a person’s interactions with others. This category is called their social affects. Some types of autism are imperceptible in public, while others are obvious in the way a person navigates social situations. In these cases, they would be described as having deficits in verbal communication or gaps in their understanding of body language and social etiquette.

The third and final category that experts use to understand the different types of autism is RRB, or repetitive restrictive behavior. Autism often affects a person’s behavior in the form of obsessive rituals, a need for rigid routine, and several other behavioral quirks unique to autism. Some of these are mild, while others are disruptive. In the latter cases, those with autism are significantly distressed if they can’t engage in their repetitive behaviors.

Four Different Types of Autism

Until now, we have understood autism by observing a person’s behavioral patterns. We observed autistic people’s struggles with sensory sensitivity, their preference for sameness and repetition, their tendency to fixate on certain interests, and their struggles with understanding emotions and societal norms.

Every person with autism would exhibit these behaviors on a spectrum of varying intensity, ranging from mild to debilitating. Understanding autism in this way was like studying a tree simply by observing its leaves and shape; there is more data to consider.

It has always been understood that autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder, meaning that it affects a person’s brain development and is therefore incurable. However, after studying the data collected from thousands of test subjects, we know now that autism has underlying genetic traits too.

We now understand that autism has four distinct subgroups, and that each one has its own varying degrees of intensity and impairment. Knowing this has helped people get a more detailed diagnosis and more effective forms of treatment.

Autism Subgroup One (Social and Behavioral Challenges)

In the first subgroup, individuals have high VIQ, meaning that their speech is not impaired and they can communicate without issue. They also had no developmental delays, meaning they learned to walk and talk at the same time as their neurotypical peers. However, the people in this group are often highly impaired by other autistic traits and have social struggles as a result of their restrictive repetitive behaviors.

People in subgroup one also frequently have co-occurring diagnoses like ADHD, anxiety, and depression. This group makes up an estimated 37% of the autistic community. Their experience with autism is intense because, even though they can verbally communicate with ease, they face the struggles of autism traits and other psychiatric disorders.

Autism Subgroup Two (Mixed ASD and Developmental Delays)

Those in subgroup two have fewer co-occurring diagnoses, but also low verbal IQ and more obvious autistic traits. They had developmental delays growing up, meaning they likely learned to walk, talk, tell the time, or dress themselves much later than their peers. About 19% of people with autism are in this subgroup.

Overall, subgroup two is categorized by low verbal IQ, late milestone development, and mixed social affects. If a diagnosis is missed in early childhood for those in subgroup two, they will likely be treated for trauma, or else left to struggle their way through school. Having fewer social skills and a verbal impairment means that life is not easy for children in this subgroup.

Autism Subgroup Three (Moderate Challenges)

People in this subgroup have an average verbal IQ, have had a typical development, and experience mild autistic traits. They often get diagnosed as adults, when they begin to realize that something doesn’t feel right, despite a lack of evidence for that feeling. While their symptoms might be described as mild or moderate, they are nevertheless affected by restrictive repetitive behaviors and some social affects.

Just because they don’t have any visible impairments does not mean they don’t struggle. In fact, people in this category are more likely to feel isolated, misunderstood, and unsupported because others easily dismiss their diagnosis.

Autism Subgroup Four (Significantly Affected)

This group comprises the individuals who are significantly affected by autism, which is approximately 10% of the worldwide autistic community. They experienced significant developmental delays, sometimes only verbally communicating for the first time in their teen years, or later, or else they are not verbally communicative. They are highly impaired by their social affects and repetitive restrictive behaviors, meaning that many prefer to live isolated lives, only trusting a few people.

Not only do they struggle with all aspects of autism, but they also frequently struggle with other disorders and psychiatric issues, too. They might be diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and ADHD, among others.

This means that they require far more support and specialized treatment than anyone from the other subgroups. An interesting discovery about the people in this subgroup is that they are known as de novo, meaning that they are almost always the first in their bloodline to experience the genetic mutation that causes autism.

Why the Groups Matter

Over the decades, autism has been known as Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDDNOS). We have had many different understandings of neurodiverse disorders before, but now, advanced technology, like brain scans, is helping inform our knowledge.

This means that not only are we understanding how autism affects different people, but we are also developing more specialized diagnoses and support for people across the spectrum.

Knowing that there are different types of autism and that they affect individuals in a variety of ways is key to developing individualized support. Autism is a biological and genetic disorder, meaning that it cannot be healed and that a person will not outgrow it.

It is a complex disorder that requires a unique method of support for each individual. Obtaining a precise diagnosis of autism is just step one in a journey that will last a lifetime, but it is a step in the right direction.

If you have been diagnosed with autism later in life, or if your child has been diagnosed, there is support available for you. You may find a support group or individual counselor in the online catalog of counselors that we host. Alternatively, you may speak with a member of our reception team who can help you find the support you need.