Within a year, Asperger 3 described a similar group of subjects. Between 1943 and the early 1970s, major epidemiological studies succeeded in better defining the syndrome of autism, establishing its prevalence rate, and providing some concrete evidence that it is a biological disorder. Within the past decade, new knowledge about human development and new experimental technologies have extended our previous epidemiological and symptom-based understanding of autism. They use this information to construct a non-verbal understanding of how one interacts with others.
Autistic children appear to lack the behavioural propensity to learn such skills.
Recently, the new technologies of molecular biology and genetics have begun to be used to study autism. These, along with neuroimaging and perhaps immunology, could substantially extend our understanding of autism, and of social communication in general. Trottier, Srivastava and Walker present a remarkable review of this current literature. Their report is lively, well organized and very comprehensive. Of course, it has taken more than 50 years to get this far.