Introduction: Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments in three domains: social interactions, verbal and non-verbal communication, and preference for a repetitive interest or behavior. 1 There are three types of disorders classified under the Autism Spectrum Disorders according to the DSM-IV-TR: Autistic disorder, Asperger’s disor...

Children with autistic spectrum disorders have difficulties integrating motor and sensory experiences. It is important to address therapeutic interventions for these children. However, there are some limitations of the sensory integration therapy and the application of virtual reality for autistic children. SIT based on VR-TIS (VR-SIT) has three components: measurement of coordination ability, ...

Autism is increasingly viewed as an expression of an unidentified neurological disorder. Because understanding of neurological dysfunction is basic to evaluation and treatment in occupational therapy, this article provides a comprehensive and critical review of the literature since 1985 concerning the neuropsychology of autistic disorder. The research is categorized into four basic types: (a) n...

This chapter provides a comprehensive review of twin studies in the autism fi eld. While family studies have also made a substantial contribution to our understanding of autism, these have not been reviewed here for the practical reason of space and because several informative reviews of family studies of autism are available (e.g., Bailey, Palferman, Heavey, & Le Couteur, 1998 ; Sucksmith, Rot...

Autism spectrum disorders are a group of developmental disabilities characterized by atypical development in socialization, communication, and behavior. The term autism spectrum disorders describes three of the five pervasive developmental disorders, including autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder—not otherwise specified. Symptoms of autism spectrum disorder...

Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PPD) refers to the group of disorders characterised by delayed or inappropriate development of multiple basic functions including socialisation, communication, behaviour and cognitive functioning. The term,,autistic spectrum disorders" was established as a result of the magnitude of the intensity of symptoms and their proportions observed in all types of perva...

background symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (asd) are commonly observed in children diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (adhd). these symptoms might underlie social and functional impairment in such children. the existing classification systems do not allow for diagnosing both conditions in children. objectives this study aimed to assess the presence of asd in a hospita...

We explored sex differences in diagnostic categories, clinical symptoms and adaptive behavior of persons with autism spectrum disorders, as well as sex-specific correlations of clinical and adaptive caracteristics. The study involved 108 patients (83 males, 6.73 ± 4.33 years old) diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Assessment included ADI-R and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale II. M...

Clarification of the pathogenesis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders is one of the challenges today. In this study, we examine scalp hair concentrations of 26 trace elements for 1,967 children with autistic disorders (1,553 males and 414 females). Five-hundred and eighty-four (29.7%), 347 (17.6%) and 114 (5.8%) subjects was found deficient in zinc, magnesium and calcium, respectively, a...

BACKGROUND Screening instruments for autistic-spectrum disorders have not been compared in the same sample. AIMS To compare the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and the Children's Communication Checklist (CCC). METHOD Screen and diagnostic assessments on 119 children between 9 and 13 years of age with special educational needs with and without ...