No.
It is not autism.
Or autism lite. Or autism similar. Or, call it autism so people stop asking questions.
Our brains are complex machines. We often find co-morbid conditions among many different diagnoses. Sometimes that matters and sometimes it does not.
DCD/Dyspraxia is a neurological issue. And as such there will be comorbid conditions often found in other neurologically diverse conditions. Yes, there will be some similarities with Aspergers, Autism, ODD and ADHD. But just because you and I both like chocolate doesn’t mean I am actually you and you are actually me. We are still distinct beings.
I was recently introduced to the term PDD-NOS, which is now folded into the DSM definition of Autism.
Autismspeaks.org: “PDD-NOS stands for Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified. PDD-NOS was one of several previously separate 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.”
So PDD-NOS is no longer “officially” recognized as its own thing and is now wrapped into a larger definition of Austism.
Again, Autismspeaks.org: “The current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) spells out the criteria for a diagnosis of PDD-NOS. Unfortunately, this description consists of a single paragraph, which mainly asserts what it is not:”
“This category should be used when there is severe and pervasive impairment in the development of reciprocal social interaction associated with impairment in either verbal or nonverbal communication skills or with the presence 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. For example, this category includes “atypical autism” – presentations that do not meet the criteria for Autistic Disorder because of late age at onset, atypical symptomatology, or subthreshold symptomatology, or all of these.”
Is Dyspraxia Autism? The answer is no. Dyspraxia is not Austism.
One of the clear and defining traits of Austism is the social and verbal communication traits of autistic children. AutismSpeaks.org has the complete (or what I assume is complete) DSM-5 criteria at this link but I will highlight the ones that are key differences between Dyspraxia and Autism (A,B and E):
- A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as manifested by the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive, see text):
- Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, ranging, for example, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect; to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.
- Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, ranging, for example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures; to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication.
- Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships, ranging, for example, from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts; to difficulties in sharing imaginative play or in making friends; to absence of interest in peers.
- B. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive; see text):
- Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech (e.g., simple motor stereotypies, lining up toys or flipping objects, echolalia, idiosyncratic phrases).
- Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns or verbal nonverbal behavior (e.g., extreme distress at small changes, difficulties with transitions, rigid thinking patterns, greeting rituals, need to take same route or eat food every day).
- Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (e.g, strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interest).
- Hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interests in sensory aspects of the environment (e.g., apparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement).
- E. These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability (intellectual developmental disorder) or global developmental delay. Intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder frequently co-occur; to make comorbid diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, social communication should be below that expected for general developmental level.
Classic DCD / Dyspraxic children, do not meet this criteria. As a parent of a Dyspraxic child, I can say with certainty that there is no deficit in social-emotional reciprocity; no deficit in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, and no deficit in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships. In fact, if anything, it’s almost inverted. Our child is way, way more aware of social relationships than most children, and appears to almost always have her “feelers” out for what others are thinking and feeling. Further, there are no stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech, no serious insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns or verbal nonverbal behavior no highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus. There are however, some hyperactive sensory input issues, particularly with the sounds of trucks, fire alarms, and high pitched noises. She is also sensitive to certain fabrics (who isn’t), and there are some things that are best done on a schedule or in a routine fashion (we’re talking kids here, so nothing unique there). And all of that would be a co-morbid factor or factors with other neurologically diverse conditions. But again, co-morbid does not equal autism.
In our case, Dyspraxia has clearly impacted speech and motor planning and control. Additionally there appears to be some pseudo-neglect and high anxiety. But the overriding, daily impact of Dysprxia is in the motor control and planning areas. Her emotional and social skills are not only on par, but often exceed others in awareness. And both verbal and non verbal communication is incredibly developed, beyond the range of a normal child, which has served her very well.