About the Book
Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC), which include autism, Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder, are puzzling, controversial, and a challenge - and the subject of both increasing interest and a multitude of myths. While many questions about ASC remain unanswered to date, our knowledge of the roots, characteristics, outcome, and effective intervention options has improved hugely in recent years. In this unique book, leading clinical and research authorities help explode myths and answer frequently asked questions on ASC: What are ASC? What are their causes? How prevalent are they? How are ASC diagnosed and by whom? What are the first signs? How should people with ASC be educated and treated? How do people with ASC think? What can parents, teachers, and experts do? What can be done for adults with ASC? Where can information and support be found? These and other areas are covered by this clearly written book to provide concise, scientifically sound, state-of-the-art, and practical information about autism spectrum conditions for all who work ASC clients.
Table of Contents:
Contents Foreword / Introduction List of Contributors Chapter 1: Characteristics, Identification, Diagnosis (FAQ 1-10) Chapter 2: Diagnosing Autism (FAQ 11-18) Chapter 3: Frequency, Development, Prognosis (FAQ 19-22) Chapter 4: Autism - A Developmental Disorder (FAQ 23-29) Chapter 5: Causes and Risk (FAQ 30-45) Chapter 6: Treatment of ASC (FAQ 46-55) Chapter 7: Treatment of Specific Symptoms of ASC (FAQ 56-62) Chapter 8: Pharmacological Treatments of ASC (FAQ 63-67) Chapter 9: School, Education, Employment, Independent Living (FAQ 68-75) Chapter 10: Legal issues, Organizations, Resources (FAQ 76-81)
Review :
"This book [...] should be read by all who want to be updated in Autism - be it parents, health care workers, medical professional workers, clinical service providers, educators, academics or politicians. [It] is written by renowned experts in Autism [...] in a simple focused FAQ format." Virginia Wong in Acta Padiatrica, 2012 "Here is an idea of astonishing simplicity: take the familiar FAQ tool to the whole field of autistic spectrum disorders; get answers from the leading experts; then put it all together in an attractively accessible format. Brilliant! Everyone will benefit from browsing this superb and up-to the minute collection of short essay answers. For those who need more information there are well-judged references for further reading. The coverage of topics is remarkably wide and it would be difficult to think of relevant questions that are not addressed." Uta Frith, FmedSci, FBA, FRS, Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Development at UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, London, UK "Here is the single most important volume to recommend to anyone who wants to learn about autism spectrum disorders! The engaging format offers clear lucid answers by a remarkable group of internationally renowned experts to all the important questions, ranging from genes and biomarkers to vocational opportunities and self-help organizations. This timely volume will appeal to a wide ranging audience including parents, professionals and researchers who are seeking a comprehensive introduction to this burgeoning new field." Helen Tager-Flusberg, PhD, Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, MA "Bolte and Hallmayer have put together a unique, innovative book that provides brief, up-to-date and thoughtful answers by leading experts in an FAQ format. It will be incredibly useful to readers from many different backgrounds." Catherine Lord, PhD, ABPP, the Director of University of Michigan Autism and Communication Disorders Center, Urie Bronfenbrenner Collegiate Professor of Psychology, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry, and Research Professor at the Center for Human Growth and Development, Ann Arbor, MI "Practitioners in the area of autism spectrum disorders frequently have to answer the questions of parents, students, and colleagues. This excellent book provides the answers based on the latest research and clinical experience. Autism Spectrum Conditions should be on the book shelf of any professional who specializes in ASD." Tony Attwood, MSc, PhD, Adjunct Professor at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia "This is a different kind of textbook and I have no doubt that it will be appealing to many readers interested in this topic. Rather than presenting broad chapters on topics like causes or incidence or communication issues, this book focuses on specific questions that will be of interest to many who study this field. For example, chapters in this book include "What are the First Signs of ASD?", "Can Vaccines Cause ASD?", "What are Executive Functions?", "What are Evidence-Based Treatments?" Each of these concise and focused chapters is written by an expert on the topic. Together these chapters provide a scholarly and thoughtful overview of the field. Topics reviewed and experts are well selected and represent the full range of issues in the field. This problem focused and scholarly approach will appeal to those new to the field because of its comprehensiveness, as well as those who are well read and more advanced because of the interesting questions addressed and the depth of the coverage." Gary Mesibov, PhD, Professor and Director at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N
