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Results for “Autistic Disorder”

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At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

An analysis of observational learning in autistic and normal children.

The present investigation studied observational learning in autistic children. Fifteen autistic and 15 normal children watched an adult model engage in a set of behaviors under specific verbal instructions. After observing this situation, the children were tested to determine what they had acquired through observation. The results showed that (1) the majority of the autistic and the youngest normal children acquired only some limited features of the observational situation and (2) chronological age was related to the amount of learning through observation in the normal children but not in the autistics. The deficit that the autistic children showed in observational learning may be related to a failure to discriminate or attend to the total stimulus input presented. Their failure in observational learning can be seen to contribute in a major way to the severely impoverished behavioral repertoires of these children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Comprehension skill levels and prevalence of maladaptive behaviors in autistic and mentally retarded children. A statistical study.

A statistical study on the comparison of the comprehension skill levels between the group with and the group without each maladaptive behavior of nine items was done for autistic and mentally retarded children. Results indicated that the group of the autistic children with hyperactivity or withdrawal had slightly, not significantly, lower comprehension skill levels than the group of those without each of these maladaptive behaviors. On the other hand, the correlation between the prevalence of hyperactivity or withdrawal and lower comprehension skill levels was seen more clearly, with statistically significant differences, rather among the mentally retarded children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Speech skill levels and prevalence of maladaptive behaviors in autistic and mentally retarded children: a statistical study.

Forty-seven autistic and 128 mentally retarded children, ages 6 to 14, from a special school were assessed in terms of nine maladaptive behaviors and speech skill levels. The results indicated that the group of the mentally retarded children with withdrawal had significantly lower speech skill levels than the group of those without withdrawal, and the group of the autistic children with self-injury had significantly lower speech skill levels than the group of those without self-injury.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Lauretta Bender on autism: a review.

Lauretta Bender, internationally known as one of the pioneers in the field of child psychiatry, has written extensively on autism and other forms of childhood disturbance. This paper reviews and analyzes the development of her theories on autism, especially as it relates to childhood schizophrenia. Bender believes that the condition is one of the manifestations of schizophrenia occurring in earliest childhood. This review traces, through her writings and through personal contact, the development and elaboration of this view, and discusses influences on her work of Schilder, Gesell and others.

Autistic Disorder↗
PubMed1977

Depressed lymphocyte responsiveness in autistic children.

Although there are associations linking autism with prenatal rubella, cytomegalovirus, syphilis, and varicella, the etiology of the autistic state remains obscure. Host defense against the etiologic agents postulated to be responsible for the autism-associated syndromes is believed to be primarily of the cell-mediated type. In this preliminary study, cellular immune function was assessed in vitro by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation of lymphocyte cultures. Twelve autistic children and 13 control subjects were compared. The autistic group exhibited a depressed lymphocyte transformation response to PHA when compared to the control subjects (p less than .01).

Autistic Disorder↗
PubMed1979

Severe impairments of social interaction and associated abnormalities in children: epidemiology and classification.

The prevalence, in children aged under 15, of severe impairments of social interaction, language abnormalities, and repetitive stereotyped behaviors was investigated in an area of London. A "socially impaired" group (more than half of whom were severely retarded) and a comparison group of "sociable severely mentally retarded" children were identified. Mutism or echolalia, and repetitive stereotyped behaviors were found in almost all the socially impaired children, but to a less marked extent in a minority of the sociable severely retarded. Certain organic conditions were found more often in the socially impaired group. A subgroup with a history of Kanner's early childhood autism could be identified reliably but shared many abnormalities with other socially impaired children. The relationships between mental retardation, typical autism, and other conditions involving social impairment were discussed, and a system of classification based on quality of social interaction was considered.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

A case of infantile autism associated with Down's syndrome.

There is increasing recognition that autism is a syndrome, not a disease entity. But it is not yet clear why some children develop autistic behavior more easily than others. It has been noted that autistic symptoms occur more frequently in children with mental retardation, blindness, congenital rubella, phenylketonuria, etc., and that there are very few cases of classical infantile autism in the general population. Very rarely has autism been associated with Down's syndrome. This is a report of a case of Down's syndrome and infantile autism.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1979

Effects of peer-mediated social initiations and prompting/reinforcement procedures on the social behavior of autistic children.

Peer-mediated social initiations and prompting/reinforcement procedures were evaluated (in training and generalization sessions) as interventions for increasing the positive social behavior of four autistic children. During baseline, the peer trainer made few social initiations and did not prompt or socially reinforce subjects. For two subjects, baseline was followed by social initiation intervention, and for the other two, baseline was followed by prompting and social reinforcement. Both interventions produced dramatic and comparable increases in positive social behavior in training sessions. Post-treatment responding was not observed for either intervention. When interventions terminated in a second baseline period, the subjects' behavior returned to the level observed during the initial baseline. The subjects were then exposed to the intervention procedure they had not yet experienced. Again, there were positive and comparable behavior changes in the treatment setting, but no increase in positive social behavior was observed during generalization assessment.

Autistic Disorder↗
PubMed1979

Histidinemia and infantile autism.

A 10-year-old boy first showed features of infantile autism at age 24 months. Histidinemia was also diagnosed, with histidine blood levels seven times higher than the upper normal values. If the coexistence of autism and histidinemia was not coincidental, histidinemia may have constituted a necessary but not sufficient factor leading to the clinical condition of autism. Other members of the patient's family had high blood levels of histidine, but did not show symptoms that have been related to histidinemia.

Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗
PubMed1979

Plasma levels of folates, riboflavin, vitamin B6, and ascorbate in severely disturbed children.

The recent upsurge in megavitamin therapy raises questions about the role of vitamin deficiencies and dependencies in mental health. With this in mind, the plasma levels of folic acid, ascorbic acid, pyridoxine, and riboflavin were studied in approximately 125 children admitted to a child psychiatric unit. There were no apparent decreased levels of vitamins in these children in terms of their age, race, or psychiatric diagnosis. It is postulated that vitamin deficiencies per se cannot be proposed as etiological factors in any of the psychiatric deficits represented. Megavitamin therapy, if successful, is not effective due to crrection of vitamin deficiencies as opposed to vitamin dependencies and may be due to the metabolic onus and consequent effects of such heavy doses of vitamins.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Effects of age on communication skill levels and prevalence of maladaptive behaviors in autistic and mentally retarded children.

This study investigated the effect of age on communication and maladaptive behavior in autistic and mentally retarded children. Forty-seven autistic and 128 mentally retarded children in a special school served as subjects. The cross-sectional method was used to compare junior and senior groups, and ratings on communication skills and maladaptive behaviors were obtained from teachers. We found that the skills of comprehension and conversation in autistic children improved significantly with age, and speech improved somewhat. In spite of this improvement in communication skills, maladaptive behaviors in the autistic children other than hyperactivity did not change significantly with age. Withdrawal improved significantly with age in the mentally retarded children but not in the autistic children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Early infantile autism in monozygotic twins.

A pair of male monozygotic twins concordant for autism is reported. During pregnancy the mother suffered from severe toxemia, and delivery occurred 2 months before term. Although there may have been a genetic influence, it appears that gestational damage was the main etiological factor for the autism in both children.

Autistic Disorder↗