A proposed primate animal model of autism.

Based on the fact that thalidomide, at a certain point in human pregnancy, produces autism, we propose administering thalidomide to pregnant monkeys at an appropriate point after conception. The infant monkeys born after thalidomide treatment of the pregnant mothers should manifest aberrations in social vocalization and in socialization behavior. Histological analysis of their brains should reveal areas whose damage will lead to autism. This can then be produced stereotaxically in infant monkeys to allow the better determination of the relation of degree of damage in these areas to the severity of autism.