Autism and Autistic Symptoms Associated with Childhood Lead Poisoning

Autism is a developmental disorder that impairs both nonverbal and verbal communication and reciprocal social interactions and is seen in association with an abnormally restricted range of interests. Although symptoms typically develop without clear etiological cause, some cases are associated with disorders or conditions that negatively impact brain development. Lead is a neurotoxin to which the developing brain is particularly vulnerable. Moreover, lead poisoning in children is known to negatively affect brain systems implicated in cognitive, communication, and social functioning. The present paper presents two case histories of children who, during periods of severe lead poisoning, developed autism or autistic symptoms. These cases underscore that there are multiple causes of autism and the importance of environmental influences in some cases. INTRODUCTION The key features of autism, first described by Kanner in 1943,1 are Lidsky-vol5no1 3/5/05 6:17 PM Page 80