An ecological method was used to assess the patterns of goal-directed behaviors of eight children with autism and eight chronological and mental age comparable children with Down syndrome. Analysis of quantitative and qualitative behavior coding indicated that children with autism exhibited shorter and less overlapping goal-directed behaviors,…

This study investigated whether attention to either physical or social entities is linked to autistic development. Comparison of 15 children with autism with normally developing children matched for mental age found a strong correlation between joint attention and set-shifting in typically developing children but not those with autism. (Contains…

Comparison of 37 families with a child having an autistic spectrum disorder and 66 control families found lower levels of coping were associated with greater strains on the family system, that strains on the family system were greater in families with an autistic child, and that the two groups differed in their patterns of coping behavior.…

Twelve children with autism, 12 with Down's syndrome, and 12 typically developing children, matched on gender and verbal mental age, were given a series of forced choices to examine characteristics of autism concerning preferences for relatedness, animate or inanimate objects, and interpersonal relationships. Performances of the groups differed on…

Retrospective analysis of the full blood count and, when available, serum ferritin measurements of 96 children (52 with autism and 44 with Asperger syndrome) found six autistic children had iron deficiency and 12 of the 23 autistic children with serum ferritin measures were iron deficient. Far fewer Asperger children were iron deficient. Results…

One hundred twenty mothers of children with autism, with mental retardation, or typically developing were assessed for effects of social support and hardiness on level of stress. Results indicated significant group differences in ratings of depression, anxiety, somatic complaints and burnout. Both hardiness and social support were predictive of…

This study investigated the role of obstetric complications in determining phenotypic manifestations in tuberous sclerosis (TS), a disorder associated with autism spectrum disorders. Comparison of 43 children with TS and 40 unaffected siblings found children with TS experienced more obstetric complications, but these were related to mild rather…

Comparison of 15 high functioning children (ages 8-12) with autism and two control groups (specific language disabled or normally developing) on measures of anxiety and social worries found children with autism were most anxious on both measures used. High anxiety subscale scores for the autism group were on separation anxiety and…

This article reviews the developmental profile of a child with autism during the first 3 years of life. Analysis of home videos showed how the child appeared to make progress up to 12 months followed by decreases in social interaction, communication, and language. Discussion suggests that this particular profile is one of the possible pathways…

This study compared 23 children with high-functioning autism with 12 children with Asperger syndrome using DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Findings indicated few group differences in current functioning but many early history differences. The Asperger syndrome group generally demonstrated less severe early symptoms, a milder developmental course, and…

Eight low-functioning and non-verbal children with autism were presented with a modified version of the "still face" paradigm in an investigation of their expectancies concerning human social behavior. Results indicated the children were unable to form a generalized expectancy for social contingency in human beings with whom they have not yet had…

Two studies compared the descriptions given by children (N=74) with and without autism of animated stimuli depicting mechanical launching effects, intentional reactions, or sequences of mechanical and intentional reactions. Although children with autism were as able as control groups at these differentiations, differences were found in their…

Systematic naturalistic observations of imitation, theory of mind, play, and social contact were conducted with children with autism, adults with autism, children with learning disabilities, and normally developing young children. Although little imitation was observed in any but the normal young children, the autistic subjects showed less…