Autism spectrum disorder is a construct used to describe individuals with a specific
combination of impairments in social communication and repetitive behaviours, highly
restricted interests and/or sensory behaviours beginning early in life. The worldwide
prevalence of autism is just under 1%, but estimates are higher in high-income countries.
Although gross brain pathology is not characteristic of autism, subtle anatomical and
functional differences have been observed in post-mortem, neuroimaging and�…

). Autism is a disorder that usually begins in infancy, at the latest, in the first three years of
life. Parents often first become concerned because their child is not using words to
communicate, even though he or she recites passages from videotapes or says the
alphabet. Though social deficits may not be immediately obvious in early years, they
become gradually more evident as a child becomes more mobile and as other children
become more socially sophisticated. Young children with autism often do not seek out others�…

Our understanding and treatment of children with autism have changed dramatically since
Leo Kanner first formally documented the disorder in 1943. With reference to the historical
context, this paper reviews recent research addressing 4 major issues: early detection,
intervention, education, and psychopharmacological management of children with autism
and related (autistic) spectrum disorders (hereafter,“autism”). We conclude from our review
of the evidence that, in the absence of additional, more compelling data, the clinical�…

1. A signed letter or statement embedded within the text of a full report from any member of
the diagnostic team:□ stating the diagnosis□ listing the names of the members of the
diagnostic team□ confirming that the members of the team conferred following the
completion of all assessments, and each of them agrees with the diagnosis and final agreed
levels of severity 2. All final assessment reports stating the:□ diagnosis□ current severity
requiring support; substantial support or very substantial support (as per DSM-5) and

Autism seems to be on the increase. This at least is the feeling of many professionals in the
field of child development in Britain, who believe that in recent years they have been seeing
more children with autistic spectrum disorders. Autism was first characterised in 1943 by
Kanner, 1 who described a group of children with an unusual pattern of behaviour present
from birth or before 30 months. He called this “early infantile autism.” His essential criteria for
diagnosis were social aloofness and elaborate repetitive routines. 2 Subsequent�…

Autism is a developmental disorder diagnosed on the basis of early-emerging social and
communication impairments and rigid and repetitive patterns of behaviour and interests. The
manifestation of these varies greatly with age and ability, and the notion of an autism
spectrum has been introduced to recognise this diversity. We begin our discussion of
research on the nature and causes of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) with a single case
history that illustrates the range of symptoms seen in this disorder. When Paul was two he�…

Recent years have seen a rapid increase in the investigation of autism spectrum disorders
(ASD) through the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We carried out a
systematic review and ALE meta-analysis of fMRI studies of ASD. A disturbance to the
function of social brain regions is among the most well replicated finding. Differences in
social brain activation may relate to a lack of preference for social stimuli as opposed to a
primary dysfunction of these regions. Increasing evidence points towards a lack of effective�…