A brief history of autism, the autism/vaccine hypothesis and a review of the genetic basis of autism spectrum disorders
Blake, J.; Hoyme, H.E.; Crotwell, P.L.
South Dakota Medicine the Journal of the South Dakota State Medical Association Spec No: 58-65
2013
ISSN/ISBN: 0038-3317 PMID: 23444593 Document Number: 668676
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) represent a common spectrum of developmental disabilities, sharing deficits in social interactions, communication and restricted interests or repetitive behaviors with difficult transitions. In this article, we review the history of the identification and classification of autism and the origin of the now widely-debunked autism/vaccine hypothesis. The differences between syndromal (complex) and non-syndromal (essential) autism are described and illustrated with case descriptions where appropriate. Finally, the evidence that autism is fundamentally a genetic disease is discussed, including family studies, the role of DNA copy number variation and known single gene mutations.