Dr Bettelheim is by far the most optimistic of any writer on infantile autism. He reports that of the 40 autistic children treated at his school, all improved, 17 making a ‘fair’ adjustment and 15 a ‘good’ one. Although it is not made clear what the ‘adjustment’ consists of, the implication is strong that it includes normal or quasi-normal cognitive and affective functioning as an adult in a nonsheltered environment. Of the three cases around which the book is centred, however, only one recovered in this sense, and no follow-up data is given for the other 37. Moreover, it may be questioned how many of these cases would be accepted as autistic by other specialists. Rimland has developed a detailed questionnaire to facilitate a differential diagnosis between autism and childhood schizophrenia and to increase the likelihood that the growing number of people who discuss infantile autism are talking about the same condition. So far, Dr Bettelheim has been unwilling to furnish completed questionnaires on any of his cases.
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There is no additional evidence of this. The Institute neurologist thought that, at three and a half, she was clearly right-handed.
