Yes We Can! Choose Science In Autism

摘要

The most reliable diagnosis in child psychiatry, autism nonetheless remains a mystery in many ways. It has no specific biological marker, a circumstance that likely contributes to its attractiveness to advocates and zealots, as Paul Offit describes in his forceful Autism s False Prophets. Persons with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) range from nonverbal individuals with severe intellectual disabilities to highly intelligent, articulate people who struggle with social expectations. This heterogeneity invites confusion. Improvements in children with the mildest ASDs are sometimes treated as "cures," as if they were transformations of the most difficult cases, whereas in fact trajectories tend to be quite predictable within levels of severity.