ABSTRACT

Autism is associated with many different impairments in social functioning, and social deficits are at the core of all diagnostic systems, such as DSM-III-R and DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1980, 1994) or ICD-10 (WHO, 1993). Amongst the specific deficits noted are the failure to understand or respond appropriately to others’ feelings or emotions, the lack of ability to share emotions or experiences, and poor integration of social, emotional and communicative behaviours within an interpersonal context.