The article presents a case history of infantile autism associated with Down's syndrome, and discusses the relationship between the two conditions. Among the aspects covered are the child's family history and his developmental and medical history. (DLS)

This paper summarizes the case histories of four young children with concurrent autistic disorder and Williams syndrome. Williams syndrome comprises a peculiar facial appearance, learning disorder, and often hypercalcemia, mild microcephaly, large blood vessel stenosis, and a specific behavioral phenotype. Literature on Williams syndrome is…

This case study of a 24-year-old man with autistic disorder and mental retardation who exhibited aggression found that antecedent exercise significantly decreased aggression; drug therapy with an anxiolytic (lorazepam) alone had no significant effect on aggression; and exercise plus medication decreased aggression to a somewhat lesser degree than…

This report presents three case reports of male children who meet criteria for autism and also Aarskog syndrome, a genetic disorder characterized by hypertelorism, short nose, long philtrum, short stature, brachydactyly, and shawl scrotum. Two of the children also presented with severe mental retardation. (DB)

Case studies are presented of three autistic adolescents who exhibited catatonia, and it is concluded that catatonia may be a sign of a comorbid condition (such as bipolar disorder) in autistic individuals. Autistic individuals with various other psychiatric, neurological, medical, and drug-related conditions may be at greater risk for catatonic…

Psychological, neuroanatomical, and neurochemical parallels are drawn between autistic disorder (AD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) based on a case report of fluvoxamine treatment.The implications of this case of coincident AD and OCD are discussed with respect to nosology, pathophysiology, and treatment. (Author/JDD)

Clozapine, a neuroleptic drug, was used to complete a 93-week double-blind crossover trial with a 40-year-old male having profound mental retardation and sensory impairments and displaying self-injurious behavior (SIB) patterns. Findings suggest that clozapine could be an effective pharmacological intervention for some cases of SIB. (DB)

A treatment package consisting of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO), token fines, and prompted relaxation was used to reduce the agitated-disruptive behavior of a young adult with autism and mental retardation living in a community group home. DRO procedures were partially implemented by a peer with Down syndrome. Baseline rates…

This article reports on the outcomes of a study that used functional communication training (FCT) with two students, (ages 6 and 15) with autism and severe mental retardation, to add information to a database assessing the potential generalized effects of FCT and to examine the role that contingencies for appropriate and problem behaviors play in…

This paper presents a case report of a young adult Japanese male with infantile autism who also met diagnostic criteria for seasonal affective disorder and trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling). The case report deals with difficulties in diagnosing mood disorder in such individuals, potential treatment effectiveness of valproic acid, and…

A case study of an adolescent with catatonia superimposed on autism is presented. The symptoms of the patient are highlighted and include abnormal social interactions, deficits in symbolic play and in communicative language, and occurrence of hallucinations and delusions. Treatment of the patient with clozapine and lorasepam is described. (CR)

This study of an adolescent with multiple disabilities, including moderate mental retardation, who was reported to engage in validated facilitated communication (FC) found he did not engage in validated FC; performance was equivalent whether food or nonfood reinforcers were used; and the Picture Exchange Communication System was a valid and…