Autism (autistic syndrome, self-centeredness) refers to a person’s seclusion from the outside world. Affected individuals encapsulate themselves in their own world of thought and imagination.
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterized by disturbances in social interaction, communication disorders and repetitive, stereotyped behaviors and special interests.
One can distinguish the following forms according to ICD-10:
- Early infantile autism (Kanner syndrome; ICD-10-GM F84.0: Early infantile autism); for this, all three diagnostic criteria (social interaction, communication, stereotypic and repetitive behavior) must be met
- “High-functioning” autism – special form of early childhood autism.
- Atypical autism (ICD-10-GM F84.1: Atypical autism); when either only one or two of the three diagnostic criteria can be demonstrated and a developmental disorder is present before the age of three or evidence of core autistic symptoms can only be demonstrated after the age of three.
- Asperger syndrome (autistic personality disorder/psychopathy; infantile autism; ICD-10-GM F84.5: Asperger syndrome).
- Mahler syndrome (symbiotic psychosis).
- Psychogenic autism
- Somatogenic autism
Sex ratio of early childhood autism: boys to girls 3: 1.Sex ratio of Asperger syndrome: boys to girls 8: 1.Autism spectrum disorder is thought to have a ratio of about 2-3: 1 in favor of the male sex, probably independent of cognitive ability.
Frequency peak:Early childhood autism usually begins in the first months of life to the third year of life. Asperger’s syndrome usually appears at school age.
The prevalence for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is 0.9-1.1%. It is assumed that for every three diagnosed patients, there are two patients whose disorder has not yet been diagnosed.
The incidence (frequency of new cases) of early childhood autism is approximately 50-100 cases per 100,000 population per year. The incidence of Asperger syndrome is approximately 20-30 disorders per 100,000 population per year.
Course and prognosis: Early childhood autism has an unfavorable prognosis compared to other forms of autism. Disorders usually remain.Intellectual/mental disability is present in about half of all individuals with autism spectrum disorders (IQ < 70).
Comorbidities (concomitant disorders):The most common comorbid disorders, present in more than half of affected individuals, are developmental disorders related to language, motor skills, and cognitive development (intellectual disability). Sleep disorders are significantly more common in young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder than in the general population. Hyperactivity is the most common comorbid symptom.In adults without intelligence impairment, the prevalence rate of personality disorders is very high, but affective disorders, anxiety disorders, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), tic disorders (repeated occurrence of involuntary contractions of single muscles or muscle groups), psychotic as well as other disorders are often comorbidly present.
