Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Diagnosing early infantile autism

  • Published:
Current Psychological Reviews

Abstract

Forty years after Kanner’s seminal article, experts continue to disagree about the definition, reliability and usefulness of the Early Infantile Autism (EIA) syndrome. The ongoing controversy is fuelled by misconceptions about the purpose of diagnosis, by the use of various diagnostic criteria and a failure to consider whether the EIA diagnosis is useful in a practical sense. In the present article, the EIA syndrome is examined from three perspectives. The first addresses the general question of whether identifying childhood psychotic syndromes is a worthwhile enterprise. Next, evidence for the reliability of the EIA syndrome is reviewed. Finally, the usefulness of considering EIA a discrete syndrome is examined. It is concluded that: (a) identifying syndromes of childhood psychosis is not only worthwhile but crucial for progress in research and treatment; (b) EIA can be reliably diagnosed and, (c) there is evidence supporting the usefulness of the EIA syndrome.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bartak, L., Rutter, M. & Cox, A. (1975). A comparative study of infantile autism and specific developmental receptive language disorder. I. The children. British Journal of Psychiatry, 126, 127–145.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bartak, L., Rutter, M. & Cox, A. (1977). A comparative study of infantile autism and specific developmental receptive language disorder. III. Discriminant functions analysis. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 7, 383–396.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A.T., Ward, C.H., Mendelson, M., Mock, J.E. & Erbaugh, J.K. (1962). Reliability of psychiatric diagnosis: II. A study of consistency of clinical judgments and ratings. American Journal of Psychiatry, 119, 351–357.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boucher, J. (1976). Articulation in early childhood autism. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 6, 297–302.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boullin, D.J., Coleman, M., O’Brien, R.A. & Rimland, B. (1971). Laboratory predictions of infantile autism based on 5-hydroxytryptamine efflux from blood platelets and their correlation with Bimlad E-2 score. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1, 63–71.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Browning, R.M. & Stover, D.O. (1971). Behavior Modification in Child Treatment. New York: Aldine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, J.B. (1972). Review of the ‘Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities’. In O.K. Buros (ed.) Mental Measurements Yearbook. Highland Park, N.J.: Gryphon Press. 819–821.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chess, S. (1971). Autism in children with congenital rubella. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1.

  • Churchill, D.W. (1972). The relation of infantile autism and early childhood schizophrenia to developmental language disorders of childhood. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 2, 182–197.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. & Streuning, E.L. (1964). Opinions about mental illness. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 28, 291–298.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davison, R. & Neale, J. (1978). Abnormal Psychology (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fyffe, C. & Prior, M. (1978). Evidence for language recoding in autistic, retarded and normal children: An examination. British Journal of Psychology, 69, 393- 402.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, D.R. & Gottesman, I.I. (1976). The genetics, if any, of infantile autism and childhood schizophrenia. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 6, 209- 233.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harper, J. & Williams, S. (1975). Age and type of onset as critical variables in early infantile autism. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 5, 25- 36.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hauser, S., Delong, G. & Rosman, N. (1975). Pneumographic findings in the infantile autism syndrome. A correlation with temporal lobe disease. Brain, 98, 667–668.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Herman, P.G. & Hessel, S.J. (1975). Accuracy and its relationship to experience in the interpretation of chest radiographs. Investigative Radiology, 10, 62–67.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hermelin, B. & O’Connor, N. (1967). Remembering of words by psychotic and subnormal children. British Journal of Psychology, 58, 213–218.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hermelin, B. & O’Connor, N. (1970). Psychological Experiments with Autistic Children. London: Pergamon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hermelin, B. & O’Connor, N. (1975). The recall of digits by normal, deaf and autistic children. British Journal of Psychology, 66, 203–209.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hier, D.B., Lemay, M. & Rosenberger, P.B. (1979). Autism and unfavorable left-right asymmetrics of the brain. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 9, 153- 157.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kanner, L. (1943). Autistic disturbances of affective contact. Nervous Child, 2, 217- 250.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanner, L. (1973). The birth of early infantile autism. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 3, 93–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kolvin, I. (1971). Psychoses in childhood: A comparative study. In M. Rutter (ed.) Infantile Autism: Concepts, Characteristics and Treatment. London: Churchill — Livingstone.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kolvin, I., Ounsted, C., Humphrey, M. & McNay, A. (1971a). The phenomenology of childhood psychoses. British Journal of Psychiatry, 118, 385–395.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kolvin, I., Ounsted, C., Richardson, L.M. & Garside, R.F. (1971b). The family and social background in childhood psychoses. British Journal of Psychiatry, 118, 396–402.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kolvin, I., Garside, R.F. & Kidd, J.S. (1971c). Parental personality and attitude and childhood psychoses. British Journal of Psychiatry, 118, 403–406.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kolvin, I., Ounsted, C. & Roth, M. (1971d). Cerebral dysfunction and childhood psychoses. British Journal of Psychiatry, 118, 407–414.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kolvin, I., Humphrey, M. & McNay, A. (1971e). Cognitive factors in childhood psychoses. British Journal of Psychiatry, 118, 415–419.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kreitman, N., Sainsbury, P., Morrissey, J., Towers, J. & Scrivner, J. (1961). The reliability of psychiatric assessment: An analysis. Journal of Mental Science, 107, 887–908.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lotter, V. (1978). Follow-up studies. In M. Rutter & E. Schopter (eds.), Autism: A Re-appraisal of Concepts and Treatment. New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacMahon, B., Morrison, A.S. & Ackerman, L.V. (1973). Histological characteristics of breast cancer in Boston and Tokyo. International Journal of Cancer, 11, 338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Makita, K. (1966). The age of onset of childhood schizophrenia. Folia Psychiatrica et Neurologica Japonica, 20, 111–121.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Masters, J.C. & Miller, D.E. (1970). Early infantile autism: A methodological critique. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 75, 342–343.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Menaloscino, F.J. (1979). Review of Autism: A reappraisal of concepts and treatment. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 9, 299–301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor, N. & Hermelin, B. (1967). Auditory and visual memory in autistic and normal children. Journal of Mental Deficiency Research, 11, 126–131.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ornitz, E.M. & Ritvo, E.R. (1968). Neurophysiologic mechanisms underlying perceptual inconsistency in autistic and schizophrenic children. Archives of Sexual Psychology, 19, 22–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piggot, L.R. (1979). Overview of selected basic research in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 9, 199–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prior, M. (1979). Cognitive abilities and disabilities in infantile autism: A review. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 7, 357–380.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prior, M. & MacMillan, M.B. (1973). Maintenance of sameness in children with Kanner’s Syndrome. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 3, 154–167.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prior, M., Perry, D. & Gatzago, C. (1975). Kanner’s Syndrome or early-onset psychosis: A taxonomic analysis of 142 cases. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 5, 71–80.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pronovost, W., Wakstein, M.P. & Wakstein, D.J. (1966). A longitudinal study of speech behaviour and language comprehension of fourteen children diagnosed as atypical or autistic. Exceptional Children, 33, 19–26.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ricks, D.M. (1975). Vocal communication in pre-verbal normal and autistic children. In N. O’Connor (ed.) Language, Cognitive Deficits and Retardation. London: Butterworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rimland, B. (1964). Infantile Autism. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M. (1966). Behavioural and cognitive characteristics of a series of psychotic children. In J. Wing (ed.) Early Childhood Autism. London: Pergamon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M. (1978). Diagnosis and definition. In M. Rutter & E. Schopler (eds.) Autism: A Reappraisal of Concepts and Treatment. New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M. & Lockyer, L. (1967). A five to fifteen year follow-up study of infantile psychosis. I. Description of sample. British Journal of Psychiatry, 113, 1169- 1182.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M., Bartak, L. & Newman, S. (1971). Autism: A central disorder of cognition and language? In M. Rutter (ed.) Infantile autism: Concepts, Characteristics and Treatment. London: Churchill-Livingstone.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandifer, M.G., Petlos, C. & Quade, D. (1964). A study of psychiatric diagnosis. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 139, 350–356.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Simon, N. (1976). Echolalic speech in childhood autism. Annual Progress in Child Psychiatry and Development.

  • Thomas, E.J. & Mueller, B. (1969). Appendectomy: Diagnostic criteria and hospital performance. Hospital Practice, 4, 72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tubbs, V.K. (1966). Types of linguistic disability in psychotic children. Journal of Mental Deficiency Research, 10, 230–240.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wing, L. (1969). The handicaps of autistic children: A comparative study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 10, 1–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wing, L. & Wing, J.K. (1971). Multiple impairments in early childhood autism. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1, 256–266.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wolff, S. (1973). Children under stress. London: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolff, S. & Chess, S. (1964). A behavioural study of schizophrenic children. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 40, 438–466.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yuwiler, A., Ritvo, E., Geller, E., Glousman, R. & Schneiderman, D. (1975). Uptake and efflux of serotonin from platelets of autistic and non-autistic children. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 5, 83–98.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Western Australia, Australia

    Nick Ramondo & Steven Schwartz

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4067, Australia

    Steven Schwartz

Authors
  1. Nick Ramondo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Steven Schwartz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ramondo, N., Schwartz, S. Diagnosing early infantile autism. Current Psychological Reviews 1, 3–16 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02979251

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02979251

Keywords

Search

Navigation