Reinforcing the Empty Fortress: an examination of recent research into the treatment of autism

Infantile autism was first diagnosed by Kanner, when he described a group of children as having “autistic disturbances of affective contact”. His 12 characteristics of autism are still influential today. There is little agreement among professionals of an aetiology for autism or of an appropriate treatment. Different schools of thought have dominated autistic research in the past, although behaviour modification has become more influential during the last 20 years and it is arguably the most effective form of intervention. The different approaches towards an aetiology and subsequent treatment for autism have all encountered problems. The existence of so many different approaches could be evidence for the lack of success in any one area. Behaviour modification is one approach which can claim consistent successes in terms of the treatment of autistic children. It may not be a permanent answer but, in the absence of further research, behaviour modification could provide the best method of alleviation for the symptoms of autism and can be put to good use in intervention programmes.