Humanism in medicine: The critical role of pediatricians in autism spectrum disorder.

In this article, we describe the importance of coexisting medical problems in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is worth noting the role of pediatricians as health care providers trained to assess, test, diagnose, and treat such conditions during childhood. The population diagnosed with ASD is systemically vulnerable. ASD is the name given to a group of symptoms resulting from a systemic, dynamic, chronic encephalopathy according to the model proposed by Martha Herbert, M.D. (Harvard, USA). Based on this model, we may describe the circumstances of patients' families who, in Argentina, are unable to find answers on the coexisting medical problems in the diagnosis of ASD according to the psychoanalytic, genetic, and neurodiversity models. It is necessary to review current models in the setting of humanism in medicine because, so far, results have not been as expected.