주간치료소 자폐증아의 치료효과

Abstract

Since Leo Kanner(l943) first described early infantile autism", it has been recognized to be a most distinct clinical syndrome in child psychiatry and many investigators as ￦ell as clinicians have been fascinated by these children. In the past two decades, a great deal of research has been done on this new puzzling syndrome and as a result of this endeavor there has been a major revision in the conceptual understanding of autism(Rutter, 1978; DSM-III, 1980; DeMyer et a!., 1981). However, in terms of treatment, various kinds Qf modalities ￦e re tried and described, such as psychotherapy, play therapy, pharmacotherapy, speech therapy, behavior modifications and special education. It is now clear that any single treatment method cant be specifically effective in helping autistic children. Instead, since infantile autism is conceptualized as being delayed in all areas of development, greater emphasis is put on a intensive, active , multimodal, psychoeducational approach in well structured, small group setting (DeMyer et aI., 1981). That is why a conventional special education facilities for mental retardation is not suitable for autistic children. The establishment of daytreament center for autistic children at Seoul National University Hospital was prompted by the communitys compelling needs for the treatment of seriously disturbed children. When the first systematic child psychiatry service in Korea was begun in 1979 at this hospital, there was literally a rush" of patients and analysis of first 600 child psychiatry outpatients revealed that one third of them were mentally retarded, neurologically impaired and pervasive developmentally disordered. Among them, pervasive developmentally disordered children including autism constituted 40% of preschool children visiting outpatient clinic and posed a particular problem because there were virtually neither educational nor treatment facilities to refer to. In Korea, it was only recent years that infantile autism and other pervasive developmental disorders were recognized clinically as seperate entities from mental retardation and brain damage.