Autistic spectrum disorders.

Autistic spectrum disorders is a complex developmental disorder with social and communication dysfunction at its core. It has a wide clinical spectrum with a common triad of impairments -- social communication, social interaction and social imagination. Even mild or subtle difficulties can have a profound and devastating impact on the child.

The Indian picture puzzle test - a developmental test designed and standardised for Indian children.

Objective: To construct a test used by community pediatricians and other professionals in the UK as a screening test for verbal and non-verbal development in children aged 2 to 4 years of age.

Methods: A multifaceted developmental test of cognitive skills was constructed, modeled on the Bus Puzde Test (Egan 1984) for its case of administration and appeal. Each stage in the design was piloted in Rajasthan in all socioeconomic groups.