Autism

Autism is hot these days--this book cuts across special education, school psychology, and school and clinical counseling. Our promotion to libraries and textbook markets should improve.

Dedicated to the memory and work of Lisa Capps, this volume is a forum for scholars and practitioners interested in the typical and atypical development of persons with autism. Each chapter is focused on theoretical considerations and the empirical evidence regarding a specific aspect of functioning, but common themes of development are considered throughout. Within this framework, the contributors provide a detailed and comprehensive account of the development of persons with autism. The book is divided into four sections: (1) Developmental, Neurobiological, Genetic, and Family Considerations; (2) Attention and Perception; (3) Cognition, Theory of Mind, and Executive Functioning; and (4) Social and Adaptive Behaviors. With the consideration of this broad range of topics, this volume is both a state-of-the-art resource about autism and a unique contribution to the study of development. It will be of interest to researchers and care providers from several domains, including psychology, psychiatry, social work, developmental psychology, and education. This volume can be used as a text in graduate and advanced undergraduate courses, and as a resource in applied settings.

To lose a child is tragic; to lose a child who still lives is beyond comprehension. Yet this is the experience of the mothers and fathers who tell their very personal stories in this important book. Their children, born healthy and happy, lost their minds to a mysterious disorder with no known cause or cure: Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD). Also called late-onset autism, this malady differs from typical autism in that it afflicts children after one or even two years of apparently normal development. In the long term, deterioration leads to still poorer behavioral and developmental functioning.

How do families respond to such ever-present loss? In When Autism Strikes, the parents of eight such children from around the world present their own stories, in their own words. They describe their first suspicions, their struggles to find a cause, and the means by which they cope, day to day. By turns heartbreaking and inspiring, this courageous document brings to light a scientific mystery and a human tragedy.

For thousands of loving and concerned parents of autistic children, the suspicion that something may be wrong comes long before the clinical diagnosis of autism, PDD (pervasive developmental disorder), or Asperger's syndrome. When rounds of testing and consultations confirm parents' worst fears, their emotional turmoil is matched by an overriding practical concern: What do we do next? The World of the Autistic Child is by far the most complete and comprehensive book ever written for the parents of autistic children, and for the teachers, child specialists, and other professionals that care for them. Written by Dr. Bryna Siegel, a developmental psychologist and director of a large university clinic for autistic children, it provides help and hope not only for the children, but for their families--the parents, grandparents, siblings, and other caregivers who must come to grips with their own grief and confusion following a diagnosis of autism or other related disorder. Dr. Siegel believes that parents' best defense is to acquire, as early as possible, the knowledge and the parenting skills they will need to work with professionals to help their child fulfill his or her potential. This book, therefore, is about understanding the diagnosis of autism, the available treatments, and how to decide what is best for a particular child with autism or PDD. Straightforward and sympathetic, Dr. Siegel guides readers through the thicket of symptoms and labels, explaining the crucial importance of intensive early education, and how to find the resources and help that are available. Behavior modification, the development of daily living skills, guidelines for selecting and designing schooling, mainstreaming, the role for traditional academics in educating higher functioning children and young people, building effective parent-teacher relationships, psychoactive medications, and dealing with the possibility of residential placement are all covered. Dr. Siegel teaches parents and professionals to use their own common sense and personal observations in evaluating the many highly publicized but unorthodox and often untested treatments for autism, including the much-touted facilitated communication (F/C), holding therapy, auditory training, "Options" therapy, allergy treatments, and special diets. Pulling together a wealth of long-needed information on the latest educational and medical advances, The World of the Autistic Child is a superb guide and resource that no one who cares about autistic or developmentally disabled young people will want to be without.

This groundbreaking book brings together contributions by leading scientists from different fields to provide a balanced view of the spectrum of current studies on autism. Four main areas of research are covered.Twin and family data indicate that the heritability of the underlying liability to autism exceeds 90%. This probably involves interactions among a relatively small number of susceptibility genes, an hypothesis that is examined in detail.New techniques are now available for examining the neurobiology of autism. The book contains results from imaging studies showing the contributions of different brain regions to this disorder and addresses the neuropathology of autism.There has been considerable discussion in the literature on the fundamental nature of the psychological deficit in children with autism. The book discusses the evidence that so-called 'Theory of mind' deficits are associated with autism.The most important practical question facing medical practitioners is how to help children with autism. Possible psychological or psychiatric interventions for rehabilitation of children with autism are examined in detail. Drug treatments have been disappointing in this field and one chapter addresses this problem.Other topics covered include the epidemiology of autism, immunological aspects_including the possible role of infectious agents in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders_and language impairments.This broad-ranging, authoritative book is essential reading for anyone with an interest in autism and its treatment.

Bryna Siegel gives parents of autistic children what they need most: hope. Her first book, The World of the Autistic Child, became an instant classic, illuminating the inaccessible minds of afflicted children. Now she offers an equally insightful, thoroughly practical guide to treating the learning disabilities associated with this heartbreaking disorder.The trouble with treating autism, Siegel writes, is that it is a spectrum disorder - a combination of a number of symptoms and causes. To one extent or another, it robs the child of social bonds, language and intimacy, but the extent varies dramatically in each case. The key is to understand each case of autism as a discrete set of learning disabilities, each of which must be treated individually. Siegel explains how to take an inventory of a child's particular disabilities, breaks down thevarious kinds unique to autism, discusses our current knowledge about each, and reviews the existing strategies for treating them. There is no simple cure for this multifarious disorder, she writes, instead an individual program, with a unique array of specific treatments, must be constructed for eachchild. She gives practical guidance for fashioning such a program, empowering parents to take the lead in their child's treatment. At the same time, she cautions against the proliferating, but questionable treatments hawked to afflicted families. She knows the panic to do something, anything, to help an autistic child, and she offers parents reassurance and support as well as sensible advice, combining knowledge from experience, theory and research.For parents, autism in a child is heartbreaking, but it need not be overwhelming. Bryna Siegel offers a new understanding, and a practical, thoughtful approach, that will give parents new hope.

This is Frances Tustin's first book and the original statement of her views on autistic states of mind and the genesis of varieties of childhood psychosis. In it, she tackles problems of diagnosis as these relate to therapeutic intervention.

"A landmark contribution.... Must-reading for anyone concerned with autism, the FC phenomenon, &, beyond that, the psychology of belief." Bernard Rimland Director, Autism Research Institute in San Diego "FC suffers from the same complaints that early ape language studies had to face. FC also lacks the same kinds of control tests of comprehension that ape language studies lacked. It's time for FC to acknowledge this & begin a rigorous self-evaluation. Twachtman-Cullen makes the starting line clear." Sue Savage-Rumbaugh Georgia State University

This book does not propose a 'cure' for autism. Rather, it suggests that psychotherapeutic treatment which is based on a deep understanding of the function of autism can modify and heal the overwhelming need for this powerful inbuilt survival reaction, so that it is used appropriately in a less overall and crippling way.