The criteria for early use of nonvocal communication systems with nonspeaking autistic children

Clinical studies of pervasive developmental disorders in Japan

Articles on pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) published mainly by Japanese child psychiatrists in international journals for the last 20 years were reviewed for the purpose of clarifying the accomplishment and aims of Japanese PDD research. Although Japanese child psychiatrists investigated PDD in various specialties, their contributions to international archives were much fewer than those of Japanese professionals in other branches of medical sciences. This may be accounted for by the absence of an authorized education system of child psychiatrists and strong clinical orientation together with some reluctance of Japanese child psychiatrists to perform research. However, the epidemiology of PDD subtypes, the speech loss in PDD and the psychopathology of persons with high-functioning PDD seem to be providing promising research areas for Japanese child psychiatrists based on their clinical experiences.

Language acquisition after mutism: a longitudinal case study of autism

This longitudinal case study challenges the assumption that individuals with autism who have severely restricted speech and language skills have a poor prognosis for further development of expressive oral language. The study follows the development of a woman with autism from mutism at age 10 to acquisition of a range of spoken and written language skills at age 26. The intervention in which the woman participated and her skills pre- and post-intervention and at two follow-up assessments are documented. The results support the hypotheses that speech and language development may proceed after mutism associated with limited verbal imitation and phoneme production skills, that some skills may plateau or decline, and that both spoken and written language may become viable forms of communication.