Rett syndrome was discovered and named after Dr Andreas Rett. He originally noted that the syndrome was of a progressive nature based on the evidence that a child with the disorder seems to develop normally in the first 6-18 months of development. On April 8, 1983 he organized the first symposium covering Rett syndrome, inviting attendees from Europe and Japan. Upon discovery, Rett syndrome was once thought to be caused by degeneration of the central nervous system. However, it is now known that the disorder is a dysfunction of the aminergic neurons of the brainstem, starting during early infancy. Parents reported their infants were not quite right cognitively or praised the infant as a well-behaved babe, not crying and sleeping most of the
