Autism
- Spectrum of pervasive development disorders
Epidemiology
- 3-5/10000 (4 per 1000 in autistic spectrum)
Clinical Features
- Onset in first 36 months
- floppiness
- poor eye contact
- sluggish feeding
- 20% have period of normal development
- may appear to lose speech
- Social Impairment
- impairment in quality of reciprocal interaction
- Aloofness, poor eye contact
- lack of interest in people as people
- people useful as means to an end
- unresponsive to social overtures
- no make believe or social play
- no social conversation
- no friendships / capacity to share / understand emotions
- failure to develop normal attachment
- can show attachment / affection on child's terms
- preference for own company and solitary pursuits
- Communication impairment
- delay in expression and comprehension of both speech and gestures
- talking at rather than to people
- abnormalities
- parroting of words / phrases
- pronominal reversing
- neologisms
- stilted rate and rhythm
- disregard for content of speech
- difficulties with social use of language
- concrete thinking
- pedantic use of language
- Restrictive and repetitive activities/interests
- Stereotypes / ritualistic behaviour
- hand flapping
- rocking
- spinning
- toe walking
- insistence on routines
- intense resistance to change
- isolated exceptional abilities
- Commonly co-exists with learning disability
Differential
Aetiology
Prognosis
Treatment
- early recognition
- Medical
- Psychological
- behavioural
- family therapy
- Educational
- early statementing
- special schooling
- Social
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