ABSTRACT
Autism is a psychiatric disorder which begins during the first three years of life. It affects approximately 4 children in every 10,000, although some studies have suggested it may be as common as 15–20 per 10,000. Children with autism often carry out the same action over and over again, becoming quite distressed if other people attempt to prevent them from carrying out their repetitive rituals, and their play is often devoid of any apparent creativity or imagination. Experiments have demonstrated that people with autism are severely impaired in their understanding of mental states, such as beliefs and thoughts, and in their appreciation of how mental states govern behaviour. Treatment centres on special education for children with autism, and the most effective techniques seem to include highly structured, individually tailored behaviour therapy, aimed at skill-building, reducing difficult behaviours, and facilitation of educational achievements.
