Autism
In 1943, Leo Kanner (psychiatrist) first described a puzzling phenomenon of the alteration of human development: autism. Identified this disorder in 11 children was struck by “his isolation, his rigid adherence to rituals, their opposition to the changes closed and strange peculiarities of their language.”
There is now a new conception of biological basis of autism as a disability neurological maturational a substrate with a genetic component.
It is, strictly speaking, a set of symptoms and may be associated with neurobiological disorders and different intellectual levels varied.The current definition is based on the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical of Mental Disorders) published by the American Psychiatric Association (4 th edition), summarizing these criteria say that: all people with autism show three broad categories of impairment behavior:
- Qualitative impairment in reciprocal social interaction: from social interaction.
- Qualitative impairment in language development and communication.
- Modes of behavior, interests and activities restricted, repetitive and stereotyped.
- The disorder usually starts early in the first 3 years of life.
Prevalence of autism
Classic autism with all these symptoms occur in about 4 per 10,000 children. Today has been defined called full spectrum of autism (Lorna Wing in London) which have included children with milder symptoms. If we include these children, the frequency increases to 21 children per 10,000.
It is more common in boys than girls: for every 3 or 4 children, 1 girl.
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