'Autism is not a social problem'

Her pioneering explorations of the biological roots of autism have won Uta Frith special recognition

Uta Frith, professor of cognitive development at University College London's Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, is one of two women who became fellows of the Royal Society last week.

Professor Frith's pioneering approach to developmental disorders overturned the idea that autism is a social and emotional problem. With colleagues, she demonstrated that autistic people are unable to think about what others are thinking because of physical differences in their brains.

She has also developed a theory to explain why autistic people can become obsessed with detail, and believes that autistic children really do perceive details better than normal people to the extent that they cannot see the wood for the trees.