Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders (original) (raw)
Related papers
Autism Spectrum Disorders: Psychological Theory and Research
2006
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Reference Reviews, 2015
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Autism Spectrum Disorders: Clinical Features and Diagnosis
Pediatric Clinics of North America, 2012
Although cases resembling autism were probably first reported more than 2 centuries ago, the credit for describing autism as a distinct disorder goes to Leo Kanner. 1 In his seminal article, Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact, 1 he described, in unusual detail, 11 children without the ability to form social relationships. According to Kanner, 1 these children showed characteristic features including aloofness, lack of imagination, and persistence of sameness; they came from "highly intelligent families" but had "very few really warm hearted fathers and mothers." These families were "strongly preoccupied with abstractions of a scientific, literary or artistic nature and limited in genuine interest in people." One year later, Vienna-born physician, Hans Asperger, 2 identified similar symptoms in 4 children who possessed similar characteristics to those studied by Kanner 1 but lacked "language delays" and were "exceptionally gifted." 2 Subsequently, Lorna Wing 3 gave the label of Asperger syndrome to these children. Around the same time, Rutter 4 proposed 4 sets of diagnostic criteria for autism: social impairment, language disturbances, insistence on sameness, and onset before 30 months of age. DSM IV AND ICD 10 CRITERIA Rutter's 4 and Wing's 3 definition of autism was largely responsible for the introduction of autism as a distinct disorder in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition)/ICD (International Classification of Diseases) systems of The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.
Autism spectrum disorders: an overview on diagnosis and treatment
Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria, 2013
Pervasive developmental disorders are now commonly referred to as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). ASDs present with a range of severity and impairments, and often are a cause of severe disability, representing a major public health concern. The diagnostic criteria require delays or abnormal functioning in social interaction, language, and/or imaginative play within the first 3 years of life, resulting in a deviation from the developmental pattern expected for the age. Because establishing a diagnosis of ASD is possible as early as 18-24 months of age, clinicians should strive to identify and begin intervention in children with ASD as soon as signs are manifest. Increasing efforts are underway to make ASD screening universal in pediatric healthcare. Given the crucial importance of early identification and multiple modalities of treatment for ASD, this review will summarize the diagnostic criteria, key areas for assessment by clinicians, specific scales and instruments for assessment, and discussion of evidence-based treatment programs and the role of specific drug therapies for symptom management.
Autism Spectrum Disorders in Young Children
Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 2009
The focus of this review is on the early identification, assessment, and treatment of young children (0-5 years of age) with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). ASDs are diagnosed in approximately 1 out of 150 children in the United States, 1,2 and given the increasing evidence that early intervention improves outcomes for children with ASD, there is an urgent need to enhance early detection and intervention efforts. 3 Retrospective parent reports, 4,5 early home videotapes, 6,7 and newer prospective studies of younger siblings of children with ASD who are at elevated risk 8,9 provide converging evidence that the age at onset for the majority of cases of ASD is the second year of life. We first review the early signs and symptoms of ASD, then describe some of the measures that can be employed for screening and diagnosis, discuss the family context with respect to both adaptation to diagnosis and treatment, and conclude with a brief review of interventions for young children with ASD. Traditionally, the term pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) has been employed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, text revision (DSM-IV-TR), referring to autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder, PDD not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), childhood disintegrative disorder, and Rett Disorder. 10 In this article, we use the term ASDs to refer to the diagnostic category of PDDs. Specifically, we focus on the diagnosis of autistic disorder (AD) and PDDNOS, as the majority of research on young children has focused on these conditions. Our preference for the term ASD reflects recognition that along with restrictive interests and repetitive behaviors, the primary developmental perturbations that characterize ASDs are social and communicative in nature. Moreover, the term ASD reflects an understanding that symptoms and behaviors in these three domains are best quantified as continuous phenomena. 11 Although these behaviors lie on a continuum in the general population, individuals with ASD are characterized by severe and pervasive impairments in reciprocal social interaction and communication and exhibit stereotyped behaviors, as well as restricted interests, and activities. To meet full criteria for a DSM-IV diagnosis of AD, a child must demonstrate the following symptoms (Table 1): 1. Qualitative impairment in social interaction as manifested by two of the following: impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors (eg, eye gaze, facial expression, body postures), failure to develop peer relationships, lack of sharing of enjoyment, or lack of social or emotional reciprocity.
Autism spectrum disorder in childhood
Medicine, 2008
The term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a group of childhood onset neurodevelopmental disorders characterised by problems with social communication and repetitive behaviours. These conditions are increasingly recognised and often associated with marked disability across the lifespan. Whilst the causes of ASD remain uncertain, it is clear that genetic factors play a major role. Diagnosis should take place following a multidisciplinary assessment which also identifies individual strengths and weaknesses. As yet, there is no cure for ASD, and few evidence-based options for the treatment of core-features – educational, behavioural and occasionally pharmacological interventions can be used to good effect.