Most autism has a genetic cause although post-encephalitis cases are reported. In a case-series (N = 20) from Tanzania, 14 met research criteria for autism. Three (M:F = 1:2) had normal development to age 22, 35, and 42 months, with onset of autism upon recovery from severe malaria, attended by prolonged high fever, convulsions, and in one case prolonged loss of consciousness. In four other cases (M:F = 3:1), the temporal relationship between onset of autism and severe infection was close, but possibly spurious since malaria is common in Tanzania and there were indications of abnormal development in the child or a family member. In seven cases, (M:F = 6:1) autism onset was unrelated to malaria. The excess of non-verbal cases (N = 10) is related local diagnostic practice.

No abstract

No abstract

This study examined the reading/written language abilities of a group of intellectually superior eight-and nine-year-old students who had been identified as Accelerated Readers and Nonreaders at the age of four years. All subjects had previously participated in a study that examined specific factors in a supportive home environment related to the early development of accelerated reading abilities. During the origmaistudy, all Accelerated Readers read at a mid-first-to fifth-grade level; verbally produced vowel and consonant sounds when shown corresponding letters, and performed well when involved in inventive spelling activities. Nonreaders read no words and exhibited limited knowledge of letter-sound correspondences. When retested at the age of eight and nine years, the Accelerated Readers scored significantly higher than the Nonreaders on subtests measuring word attack and dictation: However, no significant differences were found on subtests measuring word recognition or comprehension. A review of school-based data indicated that the majority of the subjects in the two groups had been provided the same type of basal reading instruction upon entry into elementary school despite significant differences in their reading capabilities at the age of four years.Why do some children develop accelerated reading abilities at an early age and later maintain that ability during the elementary years? Studies (Heath & Thomas, 1984;Leichter, 1984;Smith, 1984;Taylor, Blum, Logsdon, & Moeller, 1982) suggest that young children develop early reading capabilities as they become conscious that reading/writing serves a purpose within their environment. As parents expose children to various types of materials and encourage independent investigation of printed information, young children develop an understanding of the functional relation that exists between printed words and specific acts (Harste, Burke, & Woodward, 1981;Plessas & Oakes, 1964). Other research suggests that a combination of superior intelligence and a supportive home environment results in accelerated reading abilities. Ehrlich (1978) reported that approximately 94% of bright four-to five-year-olds in a sample of 279 preschoolers already read at the first-to sixth-grade level. Forty-three percent of Terman and Oden's (1947) intellectually superior subjects read prior to entering school, and almost half of Strang's (1954) intellectually superior subjects read when they were five or younger.A study conducted by the authors of this paper (Burns, 1987; Burns & Collins, 1987) identified specific experiences in the home environment that had an impact upon the development of accelerated reading abilities. The study looked beyond the general effect of intelligence/environment and investigated experiences in the home that might be associated with early accelerated reading performance. Thirty fouryear-old intellectually superior children (i.e., lQs of 120 or above on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale) who resided in supportive home environments participated in the study...

No abstract