Abstract: Recent studies have suggested that children with autism perform better than matched controls on visual search tasks and that this stems from a superior visual discrimination ability. This study assessed whether these findings generalize from children to adults with autism. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that, like children, adults with autism were superior to controls at searching for targets. Experiment 3 showed that increases in target-distractor similarity slowed the visual search performance of the control group significantly more than that of the autism group, suggesting that the adults with autism have a superior visual discrimination ability. Thus, these experiments replicate in adults previous findings in children with autism. Superior unique item detection in adults with autism, stemming from enhanced discrimination, is discussed in the light of the possible role of stimulus processing disturbances in the disorder in general.

Abstract: This study aimed to determine if relatives of children with autism and less severe pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) have higher rates of various components of the broad autistic phenotype. Psychiatric and medical disorders were investigated. Parents of children with PDDs were selected from an epidemiological survey and compared with parents of control children with non-autistic developmental problems. Rates of abnormalities and disorders were compared in relatives of 79 cases and 61 controls. Medical and autoimmune disorders in both groups were endorsed by few relatives. Specific developmental disorders were commoner in parents of controls. Depression and anxiety were significantly more prevalent in mothers of children with PDDs. Significantly more PDD children had at least one first-degree relative with anxiety and one second-degree relative with OCD. PDDs were commoner in first-degree relatives. The implications of the findings for the definition of the broad phenotype of autism are discussed.

Abstract: Poor social functioning and limited play are characteristic of children with autism. Increasingly, education for children with autism is provided within mainstream settings, but given their particular difficulties, the adequate provision of educational services in such settings is challenging. This study presents observational data of the play behaviour and social interaction patterns of 10 children with autism in mainstream kindergartens and primary school playgrounds. The target children differed significantly in terms of their play and social interactions from typically developing children in the same settings. The adequacy of the provision of services for children with autism in mainstream provision is discussed.

Abstract: Increasing numbers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are diagnosed in the preschool years, and their educational progress must be monitored. Parent questionnaire data can augment psychometric assessments and individual planning at low cost. One hundred and twenty-five parents of UK children who entered dedicated autism primary schools and units in two consecutive calendar years were asked to complete three questionnaires. Fifty-seven parents repeated the questionnaire measures one year later. Encouraging developmental progress was observed on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Screener. Symptom severity as measured by the Social Communication Questionnaire did not change over time. The pattern of change scores on the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist was mixed, and confounding disadvantages this questionnaire. The study demonstrated that it is possible to collect useful information on the progress of children with ASD using parents as informants. Such data would assist in judging claims regarding developmental progress within particular programmes.

Abstract: The communicative capabilities of people with autism are impaired and limited in significant ways. The problems are characterized by a lack of intentionality and symbol formation, which indicates that the deviant development of communication in autism is associated with a specific cognitive style. The central coherence theory can offer insight into the specific communication problems of people with autism, since a weaker drive for central coherence leads to problems in sense-making and, consequently, in communication. In the case of the comorbidity of autism and learning disability, the communication problems are aggravated. The crucial point is the determination of the level of sense-making, taking this comorbidity into account. Assessment and intervention have to be tuned to individual needs, in order to increase the communicative competence of people with autism and learning disability.

Abstract: This study investigated whether evidence for the weak central coherence theory could be specifically associated with a group of children with autism compared with normally developing children (n = 17 per group). Two tasks were employed, one involving visual illusions and the other verbal homophones. Both were based on tasks used in previous central coherence research. Incorporation of tasks involving the use of different domains (verbal versus visual) also enabled the investigation of claims that weak central coherence is a cross-domain processing style or deficit. The autistic group were found to be no different to the control group in performance on the visual illusions task. The autistic group made more errors than the normally developing group on the rare condition of the homophone task. However, analysis suggests this difference is mediated by verbal ability level and not diagnostic status per se. Theoretical implications and alternative explanations are discussed.

Abstract: Various aspects of the research literature on early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) have been poorly understood within the psychological, educational, and advocacy communities. Examination of the studies that are frequently cited by proponents of EIBI suggests that the expectation that 47 percent of youngsters who receive EIBI will reach normal developmental status is questionable.

Abstract: Cohen syndrome Cohen syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder first described by Cohen and his colleagues in 1973. The gene responsible, COH-1, was identified in June 2003 and is sited on chromosome 8q-22 (Kolehmainen et al., 2003). To date, well over 100 reports on Cohen syndrome have appeared in the literature but most are single case or small group studies and relatively few involve samples of 20 or more. (Exceptions are Howlin, 2001; Kivitie-Kallio et al., 1998; 1999; Kondo et al., 1990a; 1990b; Norio et al., 1984). The various physical abnormalities associated with the condition have been widely described and seven specific features appear to be particularly characteristic of the disorder (Kivitie-Kallio, 2000). These are: (1) ophthalmologic abnormalities (e.g. retinal mottling, myopia); (2) microcephaly; (3) haematological abnormalities (including neutropenia); (4) facial characteristics (short philtrum, high arched palate, thick eyebrows, low hairline, protruding/crowded teeth); (5) hand and feet abnormalities (tapered, hyper-extensible); (6) truncal obesity; (7) early hypotonia and later scoliosis. autism © 2004 SAGE Publications and The National Autistic Society Vol 8(2) 175–182; 042721 1362-3613(200406)8:2

Abstract: We review the different strategies currently used to try to identify susceptibility genes for idiopathic autism. Although identification of genes is usually straightforward in Mendelian disorders, it has proved to be much more difficult to establish in polygenic disorders like autism. Neither genome screens of affected siblings nor the large number of association studies using candidate genes have resulted in finding autism susceptibility genes. We focus on the alternative approach of 'positional cloning' through chromosomal aberrations in individuals with autism. In particular, balanced aberrations such as reciprocal translocations or inversions offer a unique opportunity, since only the genes in the breakpoint regions are candidate genes. This approach, in combination with others, is likely to produce results in the coming years.

Abstract: The article reports the results of a pilot study comparing traditional behavioural approaches and natural play interventions for young children with autism over a 10 week period. Two matched groups of eight young children with autism participated. Using a crossover design, children in both groups showed positive gains in compliance, attending, play and communication with their therapists and parents. Improvements in attending and compliance were higher following the behavioural condition compared with the natural play condition. Seven participants had reduced autism scores after the intervention. The findings suggest that behavioural and play approaches affect behaviour in different ways and that autistic symptomatology of young children may be amenable to treatment. The discussion focuses on the active ingredients of treatments and the need to base efficacy research on well-planned treatment comparisons.

Abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of short-term psychoeducational treatment in children with autism and reactive attachment disorder (RAD). Ten boys with autism aged 24-66 months and 11 children with RAD (nine boys and two girls) aged 30-70 months were included in the study. The Ankara Developmental Screening Inventory was used to monitor progress following a 14-session psychoeducational programme. This focused on establishing a reciprocal-dyadic interaction between children and their caregivers and it also provided an educational programme for emotional, social, and language development. Although both groups showed significant changes on all scales of the ADSI, the children with RAD showed greater improvement than the autism group in their total development score, on the language-cognitive subscale, and in social/self-care abilities.

Abstract: This article examines the existence, description, perception, treatment, and outcome of symptoms consistent with autistic disorder in nineteenth-century London, England, based on case histories from the notes of Dr William Howship Dickinson at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. Three cases meeting the DSM-IV criteria for autistic disorder are described in detail. Other cases in which autistic traits are described are briefly summarized. The article explores the environment of contemporary medical practice, beliefs about childhood brain disorders, and social practice regarding children with brain disorders, and the impact of these factors on assessment and treatment. It correlates Dickinson's observations with current research on autism, providing information about children with autism before the condition was formally named in 1943.

Abstract: Surprisingly, a variety of emerging interventions, which are speculated to facilitate behavioral development in autistic individuals, include administration of antibiotics (Whelan, 2000), tongue acupuncture (http://www. pslgroup.com/dg/1FED9A.htm), and cranioplastic surgery (Shimoji et al., 2002). The continuing anecdotal reports of positive and even dramatic effects are raising expectations among parents. However, we should recall what has happened in already completed randomized controlled trials. These provide important lessons and caution us that the rapid and dramatic improvement in autism interventions might intrinsically involve nonspecific positive responses. During the secretin enthusiasm, many miracle cases were reported on television and on the Internet. Subsequent empirical reports from thousands of open-trial cases suggested that 75 percent of children with autism have had a positive behavioral response to secretin infusions (Dunn-Geier et al., 2000). Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials, however, revealed that a sizeable percentage of placebo cases (on average 24.2 percent) showed positive responses without statistical significance between study groups (Dunn-Geier et al., 2000). In clinical open trials of tetrahydrobiopterin (oral administration), 85.3 percent of the subjects showed improvement, and the subsequent double-blind randomized controlled study using 222 children with autism demonstrated that 68.1 percent of the children responded positively to the placebo administration (Nakane, 1995). It has already been highlighted that there is a vast examiner’s bias associated with the extreme expectations in autism intervention studies (DunnGeier et al., 2000). However, the miraculous and rapid behavioral changes in treated autistic children should be considered from another point of view, focusing on the individual motivation as a substructural component of the behavioral domain. The enhancement of motivation in autistic children is a central strategy of the behavioral approach, which is estimated as the only evidence-based intervention for autism (Diggle et al., 2003). Motivation problems and restricted interests can profoundly affect the present achievement in social interactions, communication abilities, intelligence scores, and even motor functions (Lord et al., 2000). It is possible autism © 2004 SAGE Publications and The National Autistic Society Vol 8(1) 111–113; 040644 1362-3613(200403)8:1

Abstract: This review discusses Mind Reading: An Interactive Guide to Emotions by Simon Baron-Cohen and the Mind-Reading Team at the Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge. London: Human Emotions, 2002. ISBN 1–898–110–36–0.

Abstract: Cohen (1999; 2001; 2002a; 2002b) has observed that extremely high gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in the urine and blood and high plasma ammonia (NH3) were found in a male child diagnosed with infantile autism. Cohen (2001) also theorized that high plasma and urine GABA levels are possibly a root cause of autism. Recently, Shao et al. (2003), using fine mapping to chromosome 15q11–q13 by use of phenotypic subtypes, confirmed that the surrounding area of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)–receptor beta 3 subunit gene (GABRB3) is implicated in autistic disorders, and their results strengthen the evidence for a link between autism and GABA. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter of the mammalian brain; the enzyme responsible for its synthesis is glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD, EC 4.1.1.15) and the enzyme responsible for catabolism (breakdown in the liver during regulation) is GABA-transaminase (GABA-T, EC 2.6.1.19). Cohen (1999) noted that the corpus callosum in the brain is involved in intelligence, language and speech and suggested that GABA is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter responsible for axon(s)-to-oligodendrocyte signalling in the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is located in the center of the brain and is the major communication pathway between the cerebral hemispheres. The finding that elevated levels of GABA in the urine and blood are present could explain why autistic features (such as self-stimulatory behavior and language delays) are found. This is possibly due to abnormal development of the axon(s) in the corpus callosum. Cohen (2001) has also illustrated a possible link between the liver and infantile autism via the measurement of elevated levels of ammonia (NH3). Recently, Cohen (2001) also demonstrated that the GABA-T enzyme activity for a boy with autism was approximately half that of the average control group. Elevated levels of ammonia in the plasma result in a decrease in the efficiency for the enzyme GABA-T and this results in higher GABA autism © 2004 SAGE Publications and The National Autistic Society Vol 8(4) 445–447; 047226 1362-3613(200412)8:4

Abstract: The phenomenon of catatonic-like states in people with autistic spectrum disorders is discussed in the context of current knowledge about catatonia as it occurs in severe mental illness and, less frequently documented, in conjunction with developmental disorders. The existing literature on catatonic-like states in people with autistic spectrum disorders is summarized, and it is suggested that such states are not directly comparable with the existing concepts of catatonia. A concept of 'autistic catatonia' is outlined in terms of both its phenomenology and its possible aetiological and maintaining factors. A case study is presented that examines this phenomenon from a cognitive neuropsychological perspective, together with implications for everyday management. The implications of this work for both research and clinical practice are discussed.

Abstract: Although a number of advanced theory of mind tasks have been developed, there is sparse information on whether performance on different tasks is associated. The study examined the performance of 20 high-functioning 6- to 12-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder and 20 controls on three high-level theory of mind tasks: Strange Stories, Cartoons and the children's version of the Eyes task. The pattern of findings suggests that the three tasks may share differing, non-specific, information-processing requirements in addition to tapping any putative mentalizing ability. They may also indicate a degree of dissociation between social-cognitive and social-perceptual or affective components of the mentalizing system.

Abstract: This study investigated the mind-reading abilities of 19 adults with Asperger syndrome and 19 typically developing adults. Two static mind-reading tests and a more naturalistic empathic accuracy task were used. In the empathic accuracy task, participants attempted to infer the thoughts and feelings of target persons, while viewing a videotape of the target persons in a naturally occurring conversation with another person. The results are consistent with earlier findings. The empathic accuracy task indicated significant between-group differences, whereas no such differences were found on the static mind-reading tasks. The most innovative finding of the present study is that the inference ability of adults with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) and controls depends on the focus of the target's thoughts and feelings, and that the empathic accuracy of adults with Asperger syndrome and control adults might be different in terms of quantity and quality.

Abstract: The aim was to explore the comorbidity between Angelman syndrome and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Identification of autism in children with Angelman syndrome presents a diagnostic challenge. In the present study, 16 children with Angelman syndrome, all with a 15q11-13 deletion, were examined for ASDs. Thirteen children with Angelman syndrome received an ADOS-G algorithm classification of ASD; the remaining three were outside the autistic spectrum. Ten fulfilled the criteria for autism, and three for PDD-NOS. The 10 children with Angelman syndrome and comorbid autism were compared with eight children with only autism regarding their social and communicative skills. The results indicated that Angelman syndrome is better understood in terms of developmental delay, and autism in terms of developmental deviance. It is concluded that autism might have been overdiagnosed due to the extremely low mental age of the children with Angelman syndrome.

Abstract: A sample of 37 children aged 4-7 years who all showed some autistic features was investigated. Children with a primary diagnosis of autism were compared with those diagnosed with a language disorder, on behaviours within four domains; social behaviour, imaginative activities, repetitive behaviour and communication. The aim was to identify potentially differentiating features of the two groups using observational ratings and questionnaire measures provided by parents and teachers. Information on participants' intelligence and language skills was also collected. The children with autism showed greater deficits in joint attention, functional play and pragmatic language, and engaged in more repetitive behaviours, than the language disordered children. However, the groups did not differ significantly on formally assessed language skills. A cluster analysis produced three groups of children varying in level of functioning and parent-rated behaviours. The results are informative for clinicians dealing with the challenge of differential diagnosis.

Abstract: This controlled trial of a parent management intervention aimed to increase parental competence in management of problem behaviours associated with Asperger syndrome. The intervention compared two formats, a 1 day workshop and six individual sessions. Measures were taken on three occasions: pre-intervention, at 4 weeks, and at 3 month follow-up. Variables of interest were number and intensity of problem behaviours, and parent evaluation of social interaction skills. Results showed parents reporting fewer and lower intensity of problem behaviours and increased social interactions at 4 weeks and 3 months. Results held across formats and suggest that parent management training can provide an effective intervention for parents of a child with Asperger syndrome. Group differences on outcome measures and in the use of strategies are discussed along with limitations of the study.

Abstract: As reported by Young et al. (2003, p. 128), autism can be detected without referring to the analytical criteria of statistic manuals. Using a holistic intuitive approach, the expert clinician can identify elements of impairment which are common to all people with autism and which will guide her judgement. Is it possible to define these elements and trace them to a single neural dysfunction? The normal human brain seems capable of simultaneously running quite a few ‘mental programs’ of varying complexity, and with increasing efficiency they become more automated. Oversimplifying, a trivial program might be enacted by a child who walks accompanied by an adult. At least two programs are run by a person who drives a car and converses with his passenger, or by an individual who searches for a detail without losing sight of the global frame on which that detail is embedded. I suggest that simple programs are employable in autism, while complex ones are excluded or less accessible. Moreover, setting priorities among and coordinating multiple neural inputs and outputs appears to be a huge task for persons with autism. For example, they tend to either listen or act, rather than smoothly interact; they tend to look either for details or for the whole, at least up to a certain degree of global difficulty; and they cannot easily refocus from one object to another, internal or external. Recent imaging studies (Hall et al., 2003, p. 1441) indicate that in autism various lines of potentially complementary, multimodal processing might compete with each other to find a place in an online space. I assume that (1) a reduction in that space corresponds to a reduction of the synchronically and usefully arousable neural webs and computable data; (2) this in turn is related to a failure of an integrative system; and (3) there is a logical link between this failure and autistic symptomatology. Consequent relational deficits in autism would developmentally span from poor joint attention (failure in checking a bystander’s participation while looking at a common target) to a later inability to properly communicate while verifying the level of understanding mimically expressed by a listener. Stereotypes in autism could be the purely motor equivalent of echolalia: simple, repetitive sequences driven by restricted and isolated neural webs. Repetitive behaviours and fixations on a few topics, adherence to routines, rituals and even some savant abilities would autism © 2004 SAGE Publications and The National Autistic Society Vol 8(3) 335–339; 04522

Abstract: We conducted a postal survey of parents whose child had been diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder by a district diagnostic service. The service was regarded as having improved significantly following recent changes, but there were still shortcomings. Parents had obtained useful information from a range of other sources, including a parents' support group, school teachers, speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, the Internet, books and academic journals. Special units and schools were rated as the most useful source of support and treatment, but many other interventions were rated highly. Parents reported a diverse range of both negative and positive consequences of diagnosis, and many reported a change in their attitudes to diagnosis over time. Many expressed frustration with trying to get an early diagnosis, with the social, educational and health services, and with the way that autistic spectrum disorders are regarded by lay people and other parents.

Abstract: In this article a short overview is given of the relationship between autism and learning disability. Autism exists with any level of intelligence, but many individuals with autism suffer also from learning disability. Although both disorders show overlap in some behaviours they are different in many aspects. Are they distinct syndromes which influence each other, or do they belong to a broad spectrum of a condition?

Abstract: This study analyses the prevalence of ASD, comorbidity, educational provision and ability in autistic children in a single health district, born between 1983 and 1996. The number of recorded diagnoses doubled over a 4 year period. This appeared to be due to greater recognition of ASD in more able children, in children initially presenting with ADHD, and possibly in females. ADHD accounted for a substantial proportion of comorbidity. Age at diagnosis appeared to be related to school placement. Cognitive ability levels ranging from more than three standard deviations below the mean to more than one standard deviation above the mean were found in the moderate and severe learning difficulty school population as well as in the mainstream population. Exceptionally low levels of verbal ability were present in a high proportion of mainstream pupils. Measured levels of cognitive function show poor relationship with actual educational placement.

Abstract: A population-based survey was conducted among 152,732 Finnish children and adolescents aged under 16 years and living in northern Finland. Diagnoses and associated medical conditions were derived from the hospital and institutional records of this area. One hundred and eighty-seven children with DSM-IV autistic disorder were identified. Associated medical disorders or associated disorders of known or suspected genetic origin were found in 12.3 percent, including tuberous sclerosis, Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, XYY syndrome, chromosome 17 deletion, chromosome 46, XX, dup(8) (p) and mitochondriopathy. Other associated medical disorders identified were epilepsy, hydrocephalus, foetal alcohol syndrome and cerebral palsy. Hearing impairments were found in 8.6 percent and severe impairment of vision in 3.7 percent of the individuals with autistic disorder. Medical disorders seem to have a special impact on the genesis of autistic disorder and need to be thoroughly examined in each child with autistic disorder.

Abstract: The families of 26 adults with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) who either lived at home or maintained close contact with their families were interviewed about their social and psychological needs related to caring for the person with ASD. In contrast to previous studies of familial carers of children with ASDs, a strong association between parental emotional distress and unmet need was found. Parents also reported a need for more autism-specific intervention and support for adults with ASDs. The study illustrates the continuing and underreported role of families in supporting adults with ASDs.