
the autistic child
the conditions most frequently mistaken
for autism are speech disorder, brain damage
and mental deficiency, each a prominent
symptom of the psychotic child.  careful his-
tory and close observation to disclose symp-
toms of withdrawal, lack of ego, compulsion
for sameness, and displays of intelligence
give incomplete clues to the diagnosis.
the etiology of autism is uncertain.  sev-
eral factors seem significant.  the important
role of organic damage of the brain is under-
scored by the coincidence of epilepsy, eeg
and neurological abnormalities in these chil-
dren.  in our series seizures of various types
occurred in 25%, eeg abnormalities in 58%,
and minor neurological deficits in 70% of
the cases.  environmental factors are quite
obviously important in many instances.  the
emotional and behavioral pattern of the par-
ents toward the infant is often incriminated.
separation, inattention, coldness, rejection,
etc. have been found in many situations.  fa-
milial incidence of psychoses is low; so is
that of autism in siblings.
