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We studied 15 families with autistics, 15 with Down's syndrome and 15 asymptomatic children. Patients' age ranged from 5 to 15 years-old. The parents of these three families' groups were appraised in regard to their family dynamics, to relate those symptoms to the functioning of an autistic family, in a comparative study. Details were provided of the families, the overall autistic features, the autistic's family, the family and the mental health, their limitations and difficulties throughout the vital cycle. An attempt was made to locate the factors that aid the family in hindering the healthy emotional development of its members. The field research was achieved by use of the instruments of the Family Dynamics Evaluation, (Carneiro, 1983). The data gathered were statistically compared. Considering the family population studied (n = 45), we found that the autistics' families and victims of Down's syndrome made it difficult to sustain the emotional health of group members. We conclude that the autistic's family dynamics caused difficulties to the emotional health of the group's members.

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It should take into account the pediatric context and the child's development moment to evaluate the quality of life in childhood from a standardized instrument. We present the questionnaire AUQEI validation by its application in 353 children, between 4 and 12 years-old, obtaining a cut off point of 48, internal consistency with a Crombach's alpha of 0.71 and construct validity (r = 0.497). With these psychometrical qualities, the scale shows its importance as a diagnostic tool.

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A deficiência mental, por sua prevalência e sua importância em termos de estruturaçäo e atendimento, é um tema de suma importância. No Brasil, poucos säo os estudos a ela dedicados e pouquíssimos os dados que refletem as características da populaçäo por ela afetada. Em funçäo disso, os autores analisam a populaçäo de 178 instituiçöes especializadas no atendimento à deficiência mental no Estado de Säo Paulo, a partir de sua idade, sexo, cor, nível de deficiência e hipótese etiológica. Essa análise foi realizada através de questionários enviados às instituiçöes com questöes referentes aos dados estudados. Os resultados mostram predomínio de sexo masculino, cor branca, deficiência mental moderada e causas ambientais como as mais importantes em sua etiologia, ficando a síndrome de Down como a mais importante causa genética observada. Tais dados mostram algumas distorçöes na populaçäo atendida institucionalmente, bem como a importância das causas ambientais em sua gênese. Isso nos leva a mostrar, mais uma vez, a necessidade dos cuidados básicos dirigidos à populaçäo infantil

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Through the presentation of four facial expressions' illustrations, we evaluate the capacity of autistic children recognition, comparing with normal intelligence children and adults. The comparison of results was accomplished through the qui-square test. The differences observed were significant, showing that a disturbance of the facial expressions' perception is present in autistic children, and that it interferes directly in the social relationships.

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This paper covers a population from 0 up to 50 years old, considered as 'handicapped', at the A.P.A.E. in São Paulo, Brazil. Many differences in the characteristics of both social and family environment were analyzed, as well as diagnosis and etiologies regarding associated problems. An appraisal of the different influences on both social and individual factors was outlined so that strategies of attendance could be modified accordingly.

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This paper covers a population from 0 up to 50 years old, considered as handicapped, at the A.P.A.E. in SÒo Paulo, Brazil. Many differences in the characteristics of both social and family environment were analyzed, as well as diagnosis and etiologies regarding associated problems. An appraisal of the different influences on both social and individual factors was outlined so that strategies of attendance could be modified accordingly.

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Report of a multidisciplinary study of patients affected with tuberous sclerosis, 8 of them males and 7 females, with ages ranging from 19 months to 23 years; 11 of these cases were sporadic, while the remaining 4 cases lacked information regarding family data. The following skin signs were observed: Pringle's adenoma in 9 cases; achromatic spots in 9 cases; periungueal fibroma in 3 cases. One of the patients had a heart tumor. Two patients had borderline intelligence, while the other 13 were mentally retarded of varying degrees. Epileptic seizures were present in 13 patients, atypical absence and tonus crises were frequent. Three of the patients had had infantile spasms in the first year of life as the first neurological symptom of the disease. Computer assisted axial tomography was performed in 7 cases and was positive in all of them, by revealing intracranial calcifications even in 4 cases in which the standard X-ray pictures had been silent about this eventuality.

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Sao apresentados os resultados de estudo multidisciplinar de 15 pacientes con esclerose tuberosa, 8 do sexo masculino e 7 do sexo feminino, com idades entre 19 meses e 23 anos; 11 foram considerados como casos esporadicos e, em 4, nao foi possivel precisar os antecedentes familiares.Foram observadas as seguintes manifestacoes cutaneas: adenoma de Pringle em 9 casos; manchas acromicas em 9 casos; fibroma periungueal em 3 casos. Dos 15 casos 13 apresentaram D.M., deficiencia mental, enquanto os outros 2 tinham inteligencia limitrofe. Com excecao de 2 pacientes, todos tinham crises epilepticas e os tipos de crises mais frequentemente observados foram as ausencias atipicas e as crises tonicas. Espasmos infantis estavam presentes em 3 casos e em apenas um caso o eletrencefalograma apresentou aspecto hipsarritmico. A tomografia axial computadorizada, realizada em 7 casos, revelou calcificacoes periventriculares em todos, mesmo naqueles que apresentaram RX simples de cranio normal (4 casos)

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