Debate regarding the etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is on the rise with numerous theories being put forth. Currently, the theory with the most empirical support is the interaction of multiple genes. Many studies have provided evidence that as the incidence of ASD increases so do genetic similarities. However, very little research has…

Speech and other communication deficits are core features of the autism spectrum. This topic has become one of the most heavily studied in the child health/mental health field. Even within this group of disorders, considerable variability in symptoms is evident. A variety of subtopics within this area have been studied. Topics include types of…

Undoubtedly, one of the most frequently studied conditions in the field of mental health today is the autism spectrum disorders (ASD). One of the most controversial topics with respect to this population is the prevalence of this spectrum of disorders. The number of cases has risen dramatically, and various hypotheses have been put forward to…

Pica is a very serious and often life threatening problem which occurs largely in persons with developmental disabilities. The topic has received sporadic attention from researchers for several decades. This paper reviews definitions, diagnostic implications, causes, prevalence, and assessment methods that have been described in the research…

A preponderance of males with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been evident since the initial writings on the topic. This male predominance has consistently emerged in all ASD research to date in epidemiological as well as clinical populations. Despite this long recognized gender disparity in ASD, surprisingly there is a paucity of research…

Autistic regression is one of the many mysteries in the developmental course of autism and pervasive developmental disorders not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Various definitions of this phenomenon have been used, further clouding the study of the topic. Despite this problem, some efforts at establishing prevalence have been made. The purpose of…

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are serious neurodevelopmental disorders which often co-occur with intellectual disabilities. A disorder which is strongly correlated with both of these disabilities are seizures and epilepsy. The purpose of this review was to provide an overview of available research on seizures and epilepsy in the ASD population…

Children and adults with developmental disabilities are more likely to evince encopresis, soiling and constipation than the general population. This set of related behaviors can produce a great deal of stress and can be a major restriction in independent living. This paper provides a review of the current state of knowledge on the prevalence,…

Intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) covary at very high rates. Similarly, greater severity of one of these two disorders appears to have effects on the other disorder on a host of factors. A good deal of research has appeared on the topic with respect to nosology, prevalence, adaptive functioning, challenging…

Provides historical review of theory development in the field of dual diagnosis, defined as co-occurrence of mental health disorders with mental retardation. Noting that current etiological theories have practical implications for treatment and prevention of dual diagnosis, discusses current status of etiological theories and future directions for…