Rett Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a wide-reaching term that’s used to describe multiple neurodevelopmental disorders under one umbrella. These five disorders all share some of the same traits, characteristics, signs and symptoms, and are typically treated in similar manners.

While those in the medial and professional community rarely refer to each of the individual disorders under the ASD umbrella separately anymore, they are still used by some to describe the various severities of ASD.

While Rett Syndrome, or Rett Disorder, was originally included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as on the autism spectrum, that all changed in 2013 with the release of the DSM-5 manual.

While there are certainly some similarities between Rett Disorder and autism, there are two unique differences that set it apart — the fact that it primarily affects girls and is usually also accompanied by other physical symptoms.

Below, we’ll discuss what Rett Disorder is and how it’s treated.

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Table Of Contents

What is Rett Disorder?

Rett Disorder is a rather rare neurodevelopmental disorder that is estimated to affect about one in 10,000 girls. It’s rarely diagnosed in boys, whereas ASD is about four times more prevalent in boys than girls.

Like ASD, Rett Disorder is typically diagnosed in young children, though many diagnoses occur around six to 18 months old, compared to around three or four years old for ASD.

The diagnoses usually happen as parents, caregivers and doctors recognize that the child is missing their developmental milestones or has lost abilities that they used to have. In a lot of cases, children who have Rett Syndrome will display typical development initially, only to slowly show signs of slowing development, growth delays and cognitive disabilities, among other things.

What are the Physical Effects of Rett Disorder?

As mentioned, there are some physical effects of Rett Disorder, something that is typically not associated with ASD.

Today, it’s generally believed that nearly every case of Rett Syndrome happens when the MECP2 gene mutates. Even though this makes it a genetic disorder, not even 1% of cases have been found to be inherited. Instead, the mutations happen spontaneously, though a child of a parent with Rett Disorder — or who has a family member of it — may be more prone to having it, too.

There are four stages of Rett Disorder, and each is associated with different physical effects. They may include losing communication and social skills for a brief period of time.

In addition, the physical effects include muscle weakness, abnormal patterns of breathing, slower head growth, loss of hand skills, abnormal walking gait, seizures, scoliosis and more.

These physical effects are a major differentiating factor from ASD, which is typically not associated with any physical effects.

How is Rett Disorder Similar to ASD?

There are many similarities between Rett Disorder and ASD, which is why it was originally included under the autism umbrella.

This includes issues with communication and social interaction. These are two of the hallmark characteristics of ASD and are also present in those with Rett Disorder.

Repetitive behaviors are also common in the two disorders, though they are usually much more pronounced with Rett Syndrome. In fact, children that have Rett syndrome may not be able to use their hands purposefully because of how frequent these repetitive movements of the hands may be.

Children who have both of these disorders also typically experience anxiety. This comes from the fact that they don’t do well when routines are changed, and the fact that they are often ostracized by their peers and society.

Finally, children who have both Rett Syndrome and ASD can experience regression in the skills they have learned already. Since the regression occurs at about the same time, and in about the same way, it’s why the two disorders can be confused with each other early on.

How is Rett Disorder Treated?

Like ASD, there is no cure for Rett Disorder. That being said, there are many treatments that can help people manage their symptoms and, as a result, improve their quality of life.

A leading treatment for both is known as applied behavioral analysis, or ABA therapy. This is science-based approach to learning and behavior that uses repetition and positive reinforcement to teach each individual step of certain skills.

Working one-on-one with experienced ABA therapists, children can build the social, emotional and daily life skills that they need to live a happy and fulfilling life.

Blue Gems ABA Provides the Best ABA Therapy

While there are many similarities between Rett Disorder and ASD, the physical aspects of Rett Disorder are some of the main differentiating factors. At the same time, people who have the neurodevelopmental disorder can build the skills they need to succeed in life through ABA therapy.

At Blue Gems ABA, we have a team of experienced BCBAs who oversee ABA therapy for children with Rett syndrome. We create personalized ABA therapy treatment plans that are customized to each individual child’s strengths and challenges, which ensures that they get the biggest benefit from them.

To learn more, please contact us today.