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Co-morbidity of Autism and Mental Retardation (MR) makes it difficult to differentiate the two disorders. The current study was aimed at identifying the key features that separate the two conditions and those which create confusion. To explore the phenomenology, ten parents of children with each disorder were interviewed on 9 major domains (social, communication, stereotypical movements, cognitions, self care, behavioural problems, interests/routines/sensory issues, neurotic traits and developmental milestones). After validation from 10 experts, the final list of 66 features was administered on a sample of 40 children with Autism and MR (20 each). Mann Whitney U test found that 35 features were significant in differentiating the two disorders, whereas 31 features were not statistically significant. The findings were discussed within diagnostic relevance and suggestions were made to improve the efficiency of diagnosis by utilizing the dubious features appropriately.
Keywords: Autism, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Mental Retardation, Differential Diagnosis,
Autism is known as a complex disorder and to coexist with MR (American Psychiatric Association, APA, 2000; Kraijer, 2006). Research in recent years has questioned this assumption saying that the problem might not be with the ability of the child but with instruments and certain difficulties that children with autism face (Edelson, 2006). Being disorders of development, there are few similarities between the two disorders that pose problem in their differntial diagnosis. For expamle, Skuse (2007) highlighted the possiblity that association between MR and autism might not be because of their common etiology, but because the presence of both will make it more likely to be diagnosed together (perhaps due to the convenience and confusion in their symptoms). Vig and Jedrysek (1999) argued that in severe and profound MR, the symptoms become more identical with that of Autism, posing a great problem in the differential diagnosis between the two disorders. Although the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Fourth Edition Text Revised (DSM-IV-TR) emphaíses on the presence of stereotyped behaviour as the distinguishing feature between Autism and MR (APA, 2000). But stereotped behaviours were also found in persons with and without Autism, which made it difficult to decide if it was an indication of the presence of autistic disorder or due to low level of functioning (Bodfish et al. 1995). Likewise language and speech difficulties, present in Autism...