Abstract
Autism is a severe pervasive developmental disorder of behavior which is not accompanied by demonstrable neurological signs, consistent neuropathology, metabolic disorder, or genetic markers. Four in 10,000 children are afflicted and about 80% of those afflicted are mentally retarded. The onset is usually within the first 30 months of life. Most patients remain severely disabled and require custodial care throughout their lives. There is no specific treatment; management is primarily behavior modification carried out in special educational or residential programs, and through parent training. Longevity is within the normal range.
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Omitz EM (1983): The functional neuroanatomy of infantile autism. Intl J Neurosci 19: 85–124
Ornitz EM (1985): Neurophysiology of infantile autism. J Am Acad Child Psychiat 24: 251–262
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© 1989 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Ornitz, E.M. (1989). Autism. In: Abnormal States of Brain and Mind. Readings from the Encyclopedia of Neuroscience . Birkhäuser, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-6768-8_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-6768-8_9
Publisher Name: Birkhäuser, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-6770-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-6768-8
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