1. lower-level repetitive motor movements (rocking, hand flapping)

     -occcur in younger and lower-functioning

2. higher-level behiaovrs characterized by insistence on following elaborate routins and circumscribed interests

     -common in chilldren with less severe intellectual disability and in persons with higher-functionins autism

-40-69% intellectual disability

-4-58% depression

-7-84% anxiety

-24.4% tic disorders

-11-39% seizure disorder

-more common with comorbid intellectual disability

-more common in females

-symptoms occur within first year of life (more common)

-symptoms develp after a period of normal development-usually btw 18-24 months (accounts for 20-47% and is associated with poorer outcome)

-symptom profile change across the life span

-symptoms improve somewhat with time, maybe due to compensatory strategies

-no so good

-early intervention helps

-with early therapy: 27% social independence, 73% continued to need support, 47% achieve sufficient language to communicate verablly wiht others, 31-57% show further deterioration/agitation in adolescence

-prevalence increasing from 5:10,000 to as high as 62:10,000

-reflects improved awareness and better diagnotic tools rather than a true increase

-more common in males 4:1

-genetics is a factor

-prob. not one gene but many

-broader autism phenotype: familiy members of ppl with autism should have some of the characteristics (mixed results)

1. Autistic Disorder

2. Asperger Disorder

3. Pervasive Developmental Disroder NOS

4. Rett's Disorder

5.Child Disintegrative Disorder

1. -Intellectual functioning- Standford Binet
2. nonverbal-
3. -Adaptive behavior- Vineland adaptive behavior scale
4. -Autism Diagnostic observation schedule- ADOS
5. -DSM-differential diagnosis

-Problem behavior-FA/QABF