Two mentally retarded boys with autism and one girl with Down syndrome were successfully taught to initiate and play a ball game with an adult. The program targeted both nonverbal responses (such as ball contact and cooperative play) and verbal responses for play initiation and compliment delivery. (Author/JDD)

In an examination of the association of shared positive affect during 2 communicative contexts, it was found that 18 normal children displayed positive affect toward an adult during joint attention situations, while 18 autistic children did not. Eighteen mentally retarded children displayed high levels of positive affect during requesting as well…

This study of the drawings produced by 34 autistic and 33 normal children (age 68-211 months) at the same developmental level found no intergroup differences on fragmentation of geometric design drawings, but significant differences in geometric design overlap and human figure overlap and fragmentation. (JDD)

Four preschool children with autism played "Follow-the-Leader," in which a normal peer demonstrated and physically prompted a variety of actions and object manipulations that defined the activity. Following training, all four subjects generalized their imitative skill to a new setting involving new actions and object manipulations. (Author/JDD)

The study compared 9 nonretarded autistic males and 25 of their first-degree relatives with 22 control relatives, to identify potential cognitive subclinical markers in autism and differences in emotion recognition and labeling. Subjects showed an atypical cognitive profile with above average visuospatial ability and difficulty in recognizing…

Twenty-three autistic children (age 4-19) and 23 mental age-matched controls completed a task of sustained attention. Results suggest that autistic children's difficulties in sustaining attention may be attributable to developmental delay and motivational contingencies of task rather than to a primary impairment in ability to sustain attention.…

Parents of 20 children with autism and 14 children with mental retardation, with comparable cognitive developmental levels, completed the Preschool Social Behavior Checklist. Results revealed that autistic children exhibited deficits in imaginative play, peer play, and imitation skills compared to the other group, and that parents are capable of…

Differences in motoric and instrumental activity of daily living skills were compared between 1,442 people with autism and 24,048 people with mental retardation. Autistic children, age 5-12, had better developed skills than mentally retarded children matched by age and intellectual level. With increasing age, more developed instrumental skills…