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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.

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.

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.

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.