Autism

Definition/History As the Webster?s Dictionary states autism is the absorption in need-satisfying or wish-fulfilling fantasy as a mechanism of escape from reality. Autism is a condition in which children withdraw from others, either by pretending or experiencing muteness, having a delayed onset of speech or developing strange speaking patterns. Autism is a developmental disability that tends to appear in the first three years of life. It interferes with the normal development of the brain in the areas of reasoning, social interaction and communication skills. Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning that the symptoms and characteristics of autism can are presented in a wide variety of combinations, from being very bad, to not so bad. Although autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors, children and adults can show any combination of these behaviors in any degree of severity. ?Autism is not a modern problem, even though it has only been recognized in modern times.

English: Subject: Quinn, an ~18 month old boy with...

Leo Kanner, circa 1955.

Autism spectrum

In view of the short history of psychiatry, and the even shorter history of child psychiatry, we know that a disorder recently described is not necessarily a recent disorder. An increase in diagnosed cases does not necessarily means an increase in cases...? Page 16 of ?Autism ? Explaining the Enigma?. Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger where the first ones to publish anything on this disorder. Eugen Bleuler was the first person to introduce the name ?autism? in 1911. Originally referred to a basic disturbance in schizophrenia. Both Kanner and Asperger had different ideas about Autism, Kenner?s paper has become the most quoted in the whole literatureon Autism. While Asperger?s paper was quite ignored. Today, the term ?Asperger?s syndrome? is related to the rare intelligent and highly verbal, almost normal autistic child.

Symptoms/Frequency There are many symptoms for autism, they can be in any combination. Some...