The electrodermal orienting response to auditive stimuli in autistic children, normal children, mentally retarded children, and child psychiatric patients.

Spontaneous electrodermal activity as well as electrodermal orienting responses to auditive stimuli of moderate intensity were recorded in a group of 35 autistic children and in three control groups. Mean number of spontaneous fluctuations in skin conductance did not differentiate the groups. Autistic children, as compared with the children from the control groups, were significantly more often nonresponsive to the first trial. When responding, autistic children showed electrodermal orienting responses characterized by large amplitudes and fast recovery. The functional significance of nonresponding is discussed, and it is concluded that the response pattern of the autistic child shows a striking resemblance to that of the electrodermal response of schizophrenic persons.