This study examined change prospectively in autism symptoms and maladaptive behaviors during a 4.5 year period in 241 adolescents and adults with an autism spectrum disorder who were 10-52 years old (mean=22.0) when the study began. Although many individuals' symptoms remained stable, a greater proportion of the sample experienced declines than…

The commentary on the consensus statement (EC 232 063) of a panel of experts on treatment of destructive and self-injurious behaviors in persons with developmental disabilities is generally supportive but notes the absence of certain prominent individuals on the panel and questions the panel's recommendation concerning pharmacological treatment.…

There is growing interest in the role that physical illness and pain might play in exacerbating problem behavior in individuals with developmental disabilities. Assessment of these factors, however, is often difficult since many individuals have minimal verbal communication skills. In response to this difficulty, we developed a sequential method…

We examined behaviour management problems as predictors of psychotropic medication, use of psychiatric consultation and in-patient admission in a group of 66 adults with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) and intellectual disability (ID) and 99 controls matched in age, gender and level of ID. Overall, people with PDD had higher rates of most…

Subgroup analysis of children (5-12 years) with autism enrolled in an 8-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of risperidone for pervasive developmental disorders. The primary efficacy measure was the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Irritability (ABC-I) subscale. Data were available for 55 children given risperidone (n = 27) or placebo (n =…

Five siblings of autistic children relate some of their own experiences and provide insight on how this handicap manifests itself throughout the family's environment. A psychiatrist experienced with autistic children and their families comments on the siblings' stories. (SBH)

This study reviewed the literature on the clinical features of Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism, looking for evidence that a tendency toward violence is common in individuals with the syndrome. Although many studies were excluded on the basis of inadequate data, findings of remaining studies did not support the speculation that violence is…

Analysis of data from 126 children with autism found macrocephaly (head circumstance microcephaly (head circumference <3rd centile) was found in 15.1%. Microcephaly was significantly associated with the presence of medical disorders. (Author/DB)

This paper reports on a six-month continuation treatment with naltrexone of six children with autism, previously found to be responsive to naltrexone in a four-week trial. Results indicated the moderate hyperactivity-reducing effect of naltrexone was maintained during the six-month continuation treatment but no additional gains in the domains of…

Difficulties in social interaction are a central feature of Asperger syndrome. Effective social interaction involves the ability to solve interpersonal problems as and when they occur. Here we examined social problem-solving in a group of adults with Asperger syndrome and control group matched for age, gender and IQ. We also assessed…

The view of a triad of impairments [(Wing and Gould (1979). "Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 9," 11-30] in which impaired imagination is linked with repetitive behaviour is widely accepted. However this categorisation differs from the international classification systems, which link imagination to communication impairments rather…

The present study examined the impact of autism symptoms and coping strategies on the well-being of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The sample consisted of 153 mothers of toddlers and 201 mothers of adolescents drawn from two ongoing, longitudinal studies of families of individuals with ASD. For mothers of toddlers, lower…

Literature concerning minor physical anomalies (MPA) and their relation to behavior is reviewed. MPA appeared to be associated with pathology in boys, severity of hyperactivity, IQ, school achievement, and obstetrical complications. (Author/CL)

The developmental history of a 14-year-old male with Klinefelter's Syndrome (XXXXY) is described. The boy's physical development was consistent with many patterns described in the XXXXY literature, although his retardation was not as severe as expected from the literature. (Author/DB)

Siblings of children with developmental disabilities were assessed twice, 2 years apart (N = 75 at Time 1, N = 56 at Time 2). Behavioral adjustment of the siblings and their brother or sister with developmental disability was assessed. Comparisons of adjustment for siblings of children with autism, Down syndrome, and mixed etiology mental…