ABSTRACT
Lila, a nice, smallish, well-proportioned girl with an absent expression, came to consultation (LBA) at 19 months of age, brought upon her mother’s worry that she did not speak. Initially, the mother came alone, having sought on the Internet information on pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), autism, etc; only when Lila’s father’s much-respected boss, after meeting Lila, told the father that “This girl is from another planet” did he accept that something might be wrong. Pediatric and neurological consultations ruled out organic disturbance. Lila was breast-fed for four months; there was no babbling or lalling and no transitional object. Lila did not use a pacifier, but she sucked her fingers; a sibling, Bob, was aged 3.
