Autism, one of the pervasive developmental disorders, is distinguished by qualitative impairment in the development of reciprocal social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication skills, and imaginative activity. The quality of care that needs to be provided to these children is different and requires the knowledge of their behavioural pattern. Autistic children show a restricted range of stereotyped and repetitive activities or interests. The expression and severity of these impairments vary.
Autism is equally distributed across socioeconomic status and exhibits a prevalence of 1-2 per 10,000. It affects boys more than girls, with a ratio of about 4:1, though girls with autism seem to be more severely impaired. Given this prevalence, and if these children will require ENT surgery as frequently as others, the pediatric otolaryngologist is likely to encounter autistic children…
