Autistic Conditions in Early Childhood: A Survey in Middlesex

Abstract

A survey of children aged 8, 9, and 10 resident in the former County of Middlesex on 1 January 1964 showed that 4.5 per 10,000 had “autistic conditions of early childhood.” This meahs that there are about twice as many autistic children in the country as there are blind children. There was a raised male-female ratio but no special birth order. Autistic children were more likely to have suffered from complications during pregnancy and delivery than their siblings, and one-half had marked delay in motor milestones. It was confirmed that the parents of autistic children (particularly those in the “nuclear group”) were likely to be above average in educational attainmeet, occupational level, and intelligence. There was no evidence for a genetic or clinical relationship between early childhood autism and schizophrenia. Clinical and educational services still leave much to be desired. © 1967, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.