In 1943, Leo Kanner, an American psychiatrist, was the first to describe the disorder known as Autism. Since then much research has been done about Autism, such as: what is Autism (and the classifications of Autism), the special cases of Autistic savants, and cures/medication for Autism. These three areas will be the basis of my paper. The first area being ‘what is Autism?’ This question can best be answered by looking at the DSM-IV. In this new edition, released in 1994, Autism falls under Pervasive Developmental Disorders. In the DSM-IV Pervasive Developmental Disorders were changed from being coded on Axis II, in the DSM-IIIR, to being coded on Axis I. This shows optimism and a good outlook for anyone affected by Autism. The main difference between Axis I and Axis II is that Axis II is reserved for long-term, stable disorders with poor prognosis for improvement. This is mainly because some signs of Autism can improve with treatment, whereas mental retardation is usually permanent (Edelson, 1995).According to the DSM-IV, for a diagnosis of Autism to be made there are three areas looked at: social interaction, communication, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. Symptoms that fall under social interaction include: marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors; failure to develop age-appropriate peer relationships; lack of spontaneous seeking to share interests and achievements with others; and lack of social or emotional reciprocity. ...
