This book introduces a novel approach for examining language and communication in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) - discourse and conversation analysis. The authors offer a set of very different perspectives on these complex issues than are typically presented in psychological and clinical work. Emerging from a range of social scientific fields, discourse and conversation analysis involve fine-grained qualitative analysis of naturally-occurring, rather than laboratory-based, interaction, enabling broad applications. Presented in two parts, this innovative volume first provides a set of pedagogical chapters to develop the reader's knowledge and skills in using these approaches, before moving to showcase the use of discursive methods through a range of original contributions from world-leading scholars, drawn from a range of disciplines including sociology, academic and clinical psychology, speech and language therapy, critical disability studies and social theory, and medicine and psychiatry.

This book has all the essential guidance and tools that anyone working in education will need to help students on the autism spectrum perform to their best potential and stay organised and on track with their school work. The book also covers general obstacles including social situations, anxiety, mental health and the next steps after school.

Examines the diagnostic process to question how we understand autism as a category and to better recognize its intelligence and uncommon sense. As autism has become a widely prevalent diagnosis, we have grown increasingly desperate to understand it. Whether by placing baseless blame on vaccinations or seeking a genetic cause, Americans have struggled to understand what autism is and where it comes from. In Autistic Intelligence, Douglas Maynard and Jason Turowetz focus on a different origin of autism: the diagnostic process. By looking at how autism is diagnosed, they ask us to question the norms we use to measure autistic behavior against, why we understand autistic behavior as disordered, and how we go about assigning that disorder to particular people. To do so, the authors take a close look at a clinic in which children are assessed for and diagnosed with autism. Their research draws on hours observing assessment evaluations among psychologists, pediatricians, parents, and children in order to make plain the systems, language, and categories that clinicians rely upon when making their assessments. Those diagnostic tools determine the kind of information doctors can gather about children, and indeed, those assessments affect how children act. Autistic Intelligence shows that autism is not a stable category, but the result of an interpretive act, and in the process of diagnosing children with autism, we often miss all of the unique contributions they make to the world around them.

Taking up a social constructionist position, this book illustrates the social and cultural construction of autism as made visible in everyday, educational, institutional and historical discourses, alongside a careful consideration of the bodily and material realities of embodied differences. The authors highlight the economic consequences of a disabling culture, and explore how autism fits within broader arguments related to normality, abnormality and stigma. To do this, they provide a theoretically and historically grounded discussion of autism—one designed to layer and complicate the discussions that surround autism and disability in schools, health clinics, and society writ large. In addition, they locate this discussion across two contexts – the US and the UK – and draw upon empirical examples to illustrate the key points. Located at the intersection of critical disability studies and discourse studies, the book offers a critical reframing of autism and childhood mental health disorders more generally.

An accessible guide to the most recent information about autism The revised and updated second edition of A Practical Guide to Autism offers an authoritative guide to the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of Autism/Autism Spectrum Disorder. Written by two highly regarded medical professionals, the book offers parents, family memberts, and teachers a useful review of the concept of autism, its diagnosis, and the most current treatments available. This comprehensive resource covers the range of the condition in infants, young, and school age children, adolescents, and adults. The authors explore evidence-based treatments and review of some of the alternative and complementary treatments proposed for autism. Information on educational programs and entitlement services are also provided. In addition, the book contains information on issues, such as medical care, medication use, safety, behavioral, and mental health problems. The book covers the range of ages and entire spectrum of autism and provides an introduction to the diagnostic concept. With the expanding number of treatments and interventions this book is a useful guide for all those involved in caring for individuals on the autism spectrum. This important guide: Offers lists of resources for parents and professionals compiled by experts in the field and reviewed by parents. Includes updated research that adheres to DSM-5 standards. Provides an accessible resource with succinct content delivery Contains new discussions on modern treatments that have been identified since the publication of the first edition. Written for parents, teachers, and caregivers, A Practical Guide to Autism, Second Edition offers an updated and expanded edition to the practical guide to autism.

Fully updated to reflect DSM-5 and current assessment tools, procedures and research, this award-winning book provides a practical and scientifically-based approach to identifying, assessing, and treating children and adolescents with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in school settings. Integrating current research evidence with theory and best-practice, the book will support school-based professionals in a number of key areas including: · screening and assessing children and youth with high-functioning autism spectrum conditions · identifying evidence-based interventions and practices · developing and implementing comprehensive educational programs · providing family support and accessing community resources · promoting special needs advocacy. Illustrative case examples, a glossary of terms and helpful checklists and forms make this the definitive resource for identifying and implementing interventions for pupils with ASD.

What is social control? How do social controls become part of everyday life? What role does the criminal justice system play in exerting control? Is the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness a form of social control? Do we need more social controls to prevent terrorist atrocities? In this third edition of his popular introduction, James J. Chriss carefully guides readers through the debates about social control. The book provides a comprehensive guide to historical debates and more recent controversies, examining in detail the criminal justice system, medicine, national security, and everyday life. Chriss blends theoretical discussion with a rich range of contemporary examples to illustrate the ways in which social control is exerted and maintained. The updated edition includes new or expanded material on autism, trauma and PTSD, sports participation, the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing protests, domestic terrorism, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the growing importance of social media in surveillance and informal control, among other topics. Social Control is essential reading for students taking courses in deviance and social control, and will also appeal to those studying criminology, the sociology of law, and medical sociology.

*Winner in the Education/Academic category of the 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards* *Shortlisted for the 2011 NASEN Award 'The Special Needs Academic Book'* With a focus on best practice and the importance of early diagnosis, this book provides a practical and scientifically-based approach to the assessment and diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome and autism spectrum conditions. This book offers a balance of conceptual, practical and empirical information designed to bridge the research-to-practice gap in identifying, assessing, and treating school-aged children with autism-related conditions. Assessment tools and intervention strategies will support school-based professionals in: · identifying and assessing young people with high-functioning autism spectrum conditions · developing and implementing classroom-based intervention programs · initiating a dialogue between parents and teachers · accessing community resources · promoting special needs advocacy. With illustrative case studies, FAQs, quick reference boxes, and a glossary, this accessible guide will appeal to teachers, counsellors, psychologists, social work practitioners and students.

This book explores social constructionism and the language of mental distress. Mental health research has traditionally been dominated by genetic and biomedical explanations that provide only partial explanations. However, process research that utilises qualitative methods has grown in popularity. Situated within this new strand of research, the authors examine and critically assess some of the different contributions that social constructionism has made to the study of mental distress and to how those diagnosed are conceptualized and labeled. This will be an invaluable introduction and source of practical strategies for academics, researchers and students as well as clinical practitioners, mental health professionals, and others working with mental health such as educationalists and social workers.