ADHD  ||  Aspergers  ||  Autism  ||  Cerebral Palsy  ||  Down Syndrome

It is important to distinguish autism from retardation or mental disorders since diagnostic confusion may result in referral to inappropriate and ineffective treatment techniques. The severe form of the syndrome may include extreme self-injurious, repetitive, highly unusual and aggressive behavior. Special educational programs using behavioral methods have proven to be the most helpful treatment.

Behavior of an Autistic Person:

Autistic children display unusual behavior. A typical autistic child's behavior is likely to include some of the following:

Clinical Features of Autism:

  
Etiology of Autism:

There is no theory of the cause of autism which everyone has found convincing. There may be multiple causes. Thus we will review some of the proposed causes. Most researchers are absolutely convinced that the cause is biological rather than psychological. Bernard Rimland in his book Infantile Autism (1965) cited the following evidence for a biological genesis and against the idea that parents cause their children to be autistic: 

• Some clearly autistic children are born to parents who do not fit the autistic parent personality pattern.

• Parents who do fit the description of the supposedly pathogenic parent almost invariably have normal, non-autistic children.

• With very few exceptions, the siblings of autistic children are normal.

• Autistic children are behaviorally unusual "from the moment of birth."

• There is a consistent ratio of three or four boys to one girl.

• Virtually all cases of twins reported in the literature have been identical, with both twins afflicted.

• Autism can occur or be closely simulated in children with known organic brain damage.

• The symptomatology is highly unique and specific.

• There is an absence of gradations of infantile autism which would create "blends" from normal to severely afflicted.

ADHD  ||  Aspergers  ||  Autism  ||  Cerebral Palsy  ||  Down Syndrome