The field of autism has been growing at an unprecedented rate in recent years. In addition to an actual rise in the number of classic DSM-IV cases, broadened diagnostic criteria have uncovered a wider range of autistic behaviors and ability levels. The third edition of this well-known text continues the mission of its predecessors--to present a comprehensive, readable, up-to-date overview of the field of autism, one that links research, theory, and practice in ways that are accessible to both practitioners and parents. Key features include: *Expanded Coverage--To accommodate the recent explosion of research, the book has been expanded from 11 to 14 chapters that examine the impact of autism on the individual and the family from infancy through adulthood. *Expertise--Internationally recognized experts offer cutting-edge treatment and educational information on topics such as early diagnosis, medical treatment, assessment, educational methods, language development, behavior regulation, and family support. *Neurobiological Research--Comprehensive medical research and treatment chapters provide an understandable overview of neurobiological research and current treatments including when and how medication can be employed as part of a treatment plan. *Focus on Early Years--Old sections I and III have been combined and a new 3-chapter section on early identification and intervention added. *Focus on Parents and Families--In addition to a chapter on the evolving role of families, a new chapter addresses family needs during the preschool years. *Integration of Assessment and Intervention--The chapters on assessment and intervention have been reorganized and more closely integrated in keeping with current thinking about their inter-relatedness. *Future Directions--Two chapters discuss emerging directions in this exploding field and how to make informed decisions among a variety of approaches. This book is appropriate for anyone--students, practitioners, or parents--who must provide care for an autistic child.

Written by an 'insider', an openly gay autistic adult, Wendy Lawson writes frankly and honestly about autism, sex and sexuality. In her new book, she draws upon her own experience to examine the implications of being autistic on relationships, sex and sexuality. Having discussed subjects such as basic sex education and autism, the author goes further to explore the wider issues of interpersonal relationships, same sex attraction, bisexuality and transgender issues. She also examines the unspoken rules that exist between people in relationships and explains why these rules can be difficult and confusing for people with autism. This book will give courage and information to adults with autism or Asperger Syndrome and provide essential insights to those living and working with them.

Today autism has become highly visible. Once you begin to look for it, you realize it is everywhere. Why? We all know the answer or think we do: there is an autism epidemic. And if it is an epidemic, then we know what must be done: lots of money must be thrown at it, detection centers must be established and explanations sought, so that the number of new cases can be brought down and the epidemic brought under control. But can it really be so simple? This major new book offers a very different interpretation. The authors argue that the recent rise in autism should be understood an “aftershock” of the real earthquake, which was the deinstitutionalization of mental retardation in the mid-1970s. This entailed a radical transformation not only of the institutional matrix for dealing with developmental disorders of childhood, but also of the cultural lens through which we view them. It opened up a space for viewing and treating childhood disorders as neither mental illness nor mental retardation, neither curable nor incurable, but somewhere in-between. The authors show that where deinstitutionalization went the furthest, as in Scandinavia, UK and the “blue” states of the US, autism rates are also highest. Where it was absent or delayed, as in France, autism rates are low. Combining a historical narrative with international comparison, The Autism Matrix offers a fresh and powerful analysis of a condition that affects many parents and children today.

Autism: The Movement Sensing Perspective is the result of a collaborative effort by parents, therapists, clinicians, and researchers from all disciplines in science including physics, engineering, and applied mathematics. This book poses questions regarding the current conceptualization and approach to the study of autism, providing an alternative unifying data-driven framework grounded in physiological factors. This book reaches beyond subjective descriptions of autistic phenomena and embraces a new era of objective measurements, analyses, and statistical inferences. The authors harness activities from the nervous systems across the brain and body (often in tandem), and introduce a platform for the comprehensive personalized phenotyping of individuals with autism. The impact of this approach is discussed to advance the development of tailored treatments options, enhance the ability to longitudinally track symptomatology, and to fundamentally empower affected individuals and their families. This book encompasses a new era for autism research and treatments, and our continuous effort to collectively empower and embrace the autistic community.

This title is intended for advanced undergraduate and masters level students in psychology; professional clinical, developmental and educational psychologists; general practitioners and others with a special interest in children; careworkers; and parents of autistic children.

At The National Autistic Society we are often asked about how best to talk to someone about their autism diagnosis. We feel that a person with autism has the right to know their diagnosis. Wanting to protect someone from their diagnosis can feel like the kindest thing to do, but in reality it often gets harder the longer it is delayed. There are definite advantages to talking about the diagnosis, but these vary between individuals. Many people have commented that they would like to have known earlier because knowing their diagnosis came as a relief and a source of comfort. This book offers a wealth of advice and guidance. Aimed primarily at parents and carers of younger children, it includes helpful information also for schools and for people working with adults with autism.

Donna Williams' challenging book, written by an autistic person for people with autism and related disorders, carers, and the professionals who work with them, is a practical handbook to understanding, living with and working with autism. Exploring autism from the inside, it shows clearly how the behaviours associated with autism can have a range of different causes, and in many cases reflect the autistic person's attempt to gain control over their internal world. The sensory and perceptual problems that challenge a person with autism are described in depth, together with strategies for tackling them so as to enable that person to take more control of their lives. Donna Williams comments on the various approaches to autism, drawing out those strategies that are of real use, and explaining why some approaches may prove counterproductive, leaving the autistic person feeling even more isolated and misunderstood. Taking the view that understanding autism is the key to managing the condition, Donna Williams' book will bring illumination to all those who have felt baffled and frustrated by the outside appearance of autism. It contains a wealth of helpful suggestions, insights and new ideas, exploding old myths and promoting a view that all those involved with autism will find empowering and creative.

When a child is diagnosed with autism, the parents' initial reaction is often one of hopelessness and fear that nothing can be done. Olga Holland experienced these emotions when her son Billy was diagnosed, but instead of giving up hope, she developed strategies to contain Billy's autistic behaviors, and since then she and her family have come to view autism as a blessing, not a curse. In this book Olga describes the real-world strategies that have made Billy better able to cope with life, reducing his meltdowns and helping him to accept variety and change, and she explains how working with autism's many strengths has led to a better quality of life for all her family. Full of advice for both day-to-day living and long-term progress, The Dragons of Autism is a positive and inspirational read, with Olga's deep love for her son evident throughout.

Children on the autism spectrum are often highly visual learners, making colour a powerful and motivating learning tool. This book explains how colour coding helps young people with autism to generalise lessons already learnt. For example, assigning the colour aqua to all personal care activities or the colour purple to timetabling and transitions establishes clear, visual categories. This allows children to draw on learnt experiences, which creates a sense of order, reduces anxiety, and can aid communication, understanding emotions, organisation, coping with change and diversifying diet. A wealth of tried-and-tested printable resources to enable the practical application of colour coding in the classroom and at home are included on a CD-ROM. With colourful illustrations and resources, Colour Coding for Learners with Autism is an effective, must-have teaching tool for anyone involved in the education of young people with autism.

This completely revised and substantially expanded new edition embraces new developments in this rapidly developing field. Every chapter has been rewritten with the addition of new material, and a new final chapter on `Putting the Pieces Together' reflects the authors' conviction that the complexity of autism means that many kinds of information are valuable and need to be taken into account in providing therapy or teaching for children with autism. Other chapters, updated from the first edition, include a description of the latest information on the findings of brain research (put into the context of the development of the human brain and its effect on communication in early childhood), and the contributions of music therapy and psychoanalysis. A very much enlarged chapter on educational provision for children with autism and Asperger's Syndrome provides information on the latest methods for improving the learning of these children, to give them the best possible preparation for a life of greater autonomy and maximum self-satisfaction in the pleasure of human company. New appendices summarise medical diagnostic systems, checklists and questionnaires for identifying autism, and the glossary has been considerably expanded. The wealth of up-to-date information provided will be invaluable not only for researchers and students but also for psychologists, teachers and other professionals, and parents, carers and family members in search of comprehensive and helpful information.