自闭症

　　自闭症(autism)

　　一种影响躯体、社交及语言技能的神经生物学性障碍。该词於1940年代为坎纳（Leo Kanner）和亚斯柏格（Hans Asperger）使用，用以描述一类表现极端孤独、自我沈缅的儿童。本症候群通常於两岁半前出现，但早期徵象不易觉察。语言能力发展很慢或不正常（不成调或无节奏），可能对某些物件极为依恋，对声响反应不强，对疼痛无反应，或对明白无误的危险不能认识，但自闭症患儿极为敏感，通常本症候群伴有不愿环境有任何改变的强迫性欲望，常伴有节律性的身体动作，如摇摆或拍手等。本症候群在男性中的发病率较女性高三～四倍。从前认为是後天因素，如父母与儿童间的行为交感的结果，可导致本症候群。现在的研究发现自闭症患者的脑结构异於常人。约15～20%的患者以後在社会生活或职业方面能够独立。某些自闭症患者视觉思考能力非比寻常，可能具有特殊天分。亦请参阅idiot savant。

　　English version

　　autism

　　Neurobiological disorder that affects physical, social, and language skills. First described by Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger in the 1940s, the syndrome usually appears before 212 years of age. Autistic infants appear indifferent or averse to affection and physical contact. They may be slow in learning to speak and suffer episodes of rage or panic; they may also appear deaf and display an almost hypnotized fascination with certain objects. Autism is often characterized by rhythmic body movements such as rocking or hand-clapping and by an obsessive desire to prevent change in daily routines. Autistic individuals may be hypersensitive to some stimuli (e.g., high-pitched sounds) and abnormally slow to react to others (e.g., physical pain). The disorder is three to four times more common in males. Though postnatal factors such as lack of parental attention were once blamed, it is now known that autism is the result of abnormalities in the brain structure. About 15-20% of autistic adults live and work independently; “high-functioning” autistic people may have special gifts based on their unusual ability for visual thinking. See also idiot savant.