What is Autism or Pervasive Developmental Disorder?
Pervasive Developmental Disorders, including Autism, Asperger’s Disorder, and Rett’s Disorder, usually begin prior to age 10 and are characterized by severe impairment in the developmental areas of: • Reciprocal social interaction skills, • Communication skills, and • The presence of stereotyped behaviors, interests, and activities. What is a Related Condition? A Related Condition is a severe and chronic disability that: • Is attributable to cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or any other condition, other than mental illness, that is closely related to mental retardation because the condition results in impairment in intellectual and adaptive behavior functioning similar to that of person with mental retardation; • Is manifested before the age of 22; • Is likely to continue indefinitely; and • Results in substantial functional limitation in three or more areas of major life activity to include self-care, understanding and using language, learning, mobility, self-direction, and capacity for inde
