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A great deal of effort is now made to define the core syndrome described
by Kanner (1943), and to focus research on children who fit the core
definition. But a case can be made for viewing autism as part of a larger
spectrum of brain disorders to complement studies in which only the
purest form of autism is investigated. Going back in history for
comparisons with disorders that no longer exist can also provide a useful
perspective as well as data on diseases that no longer occur.
Although origin of the concept of infantile autism is widely attributed to
Kanner, descriptions of the disorder had been made at least as early as
the late nineteenth century. Barr (1898) described a 22-year-old
retarded man with a phenomenal memory and echolalic speech, and
Barr cited use of the term echolalia in the German literature beginning
with Romberg (1850).

Moebius (1888) described children born with bilateral facial and
oculomotor paralysis. Physical deformities of children with this syndrome
suggest the influence of teratogenic agents such as alcohol as causative
(Hanissian et al. 1970, Myerson & Foushee 1978, Miller & Stromland
1999). Cleft palate, club feet, and other abnormalities of facial features
and limbs are common. As in the case of fetal alcohol syndrome, autistic
behaviors have been described in children with Moebius syndrome
(Gillberg & Steffenburg 1989).

Children with autism do not (by definition) have cranio-facial
abnormalities, but lack of facial expression and poor eye contact may
indicate a lesser degree of cranial nerve involvement in some children
with autism. Oculomotor impairment has been measured in studies of
autistic children (Rosenhall et al 1988, Miller et al. 1998).