Autism and Genetics

Autism and Genetics

Exploring Autism: the Search for a Genetic Etiology

Katharine E. Yoder

Penn State College of Medicine

2004

Introduction 

Autistic Disorder is described in the DSM IV as having the characteristics of:

1.     Qualitative impairment in social interaction,

2.     Qualitative impairments in communication,

3.     Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities,

And delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years:

1.   Social interaction

2.   Language used in social communication, or

3.   Symbolic or imaginative play, and the disturbance is not described by Rett