Early infantile autism: a review.

Abstract

In 1944 Kanner 1 first described early infantile autism, a type of schizophrenia beginning in infancy and continuing into childhood. Kanner's studies of this disorder attracted wide attention, and early infantile autism is now generally accepted as a clinical syndrome. Before Kanner's delineation of this condition these children were usually diagnosed as mentally deficient, deaf-mute, asphasic, postencephalitic, or organically brain-damaged. Children with early infantile autism are still frequently misdiagnosed; a wider knowledge of the nature and course of this illness is needed so that these children may be recognized and appropriately managed. Descriptive Pathology The most striking symptom of early infantile autism is a marked withdrawal from interpersonal relationships. As early as the fourth month of life these children may be observed to be apathetic and unresponsive to the attentions of adults caring for them. In contrast to the fretful or pleased responses of normal infants, the autistic child makes