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A perceived rise in autism worldwide has led to a dramatic increase in autism research. This is a uniquely interdisciplinary text that presents the latest findings regarding the physiological, neuropathological, neurochemical and clinical elements of autism.
This book is a comprehensive overview of the clinical and scientific aspects of Autism from the leading experts in the field. The clinical section covers everything from epidemiological features to epigenetic regulation to behavioral therapies and much in between. The basic science section presents the latest knowledge on the underlying causes of the disorder including the role of various neurotransmitters, neurexins and neuroligins, reelin, and other proteins. Chapters also explore the cognition and motor control in autism and the connection between oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction and autism. The thorough description of these underlying causes may help researchers and clinicians find more effective treatments and therapies for the 1 in 68 American children who have been diagnosed with Autism.
Now expanded to two volumes, this invaluable reference work provides a comprehensive review of all information presently available about these disorders, drawing on findings and clinical experience from a number of related disciplines such as psychiatry, psychology, neurobiology, pediatrics, etc. The Handbook covers descriptive and diagnostic characteristics, biological contributions, intervention techniques, legal and social issues. The Third Edition is updated to include the newest work in animal models, genetics, neuropsychological processes, screening and assessment methods.
Impeccably researched and written by a nationally known team of specialists from neurodevelopmental pediatrics, psychology, epidemiology, education, occupational therapy, and speech therapy backgrounds, Autistic Spectrum Disorders in Children presents a multidisciplinary profile of autism and pervasive developmental disorders in children. Tracing the history of autism and tracking the latest research on its causation and neurological basis, this volume offers both traditional medical and complementary and alternative medicine approaches-as well as reliable methods for assessing treatment efficacy.
As a division of the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at ChapeI Hili, TEACCH has always been involved in the latest biological research on autism and related developmental disabilities. However, until now there has not been sufficient information to justify aseparate volume on this most important topic. Recent advances both in our under standing of the brain and in the technology to facilitate the measurement of neurological functioning have stimulated significant growth, which is reflected in this volume. As with the preceding books in this series, Current Issues in Autism, this volume is based on one of the annual TEACCH conferences held in ChapeI Hili each May. The books are not simply published proceedings of the conference papers, however. lnstead, conference participants are asked to develop chapters around their presentations, and other international experts whose work is beyond the scope of the conference, but related to the major theme, are asked to contribute as weil. These volumes are intended to provide the most current knowledge and professional practice available to us concerning major issues in autism.
This book draws together contributions from some of the leading investigators in the field of autism to consider specific problem areas in current research. Each contributor brings expertise from a different field, providing a balanced view of the whole spectrum of study of this disorder. It covers four main areas: Twin and family studies indicate that the heritability of the underlying liability to autism exceeds 90% and point to a multifactorial causation, involving a relatively small number of susceptibility genes. The book discusses this issue in detail, along with the problem of why some additional symptoms are associated with autism while others are not. New techniques are available for examining the neurobiology of autism. The book contains results from imaging studies showing the contributions of different brain regions to autism. It includes neuropathological data and examines the neuropharmacology of autism. There is considerable discussion concerning the fundamental psychological deficit in children with autism. There is good evidence that "Theory of Mind" deficits are associated with autism and this issue is discussed in the book, as are other competing possibilities. The most important practical question facing medical and psychological practitioners is how to help children with autism. The evidence relating to possible psychological or psychiatric interventions for rehabilitation of children with autism is examined in detail. Drug treatments have generally been disappointing in this field and there is one chapter devoted specifically to this problem. The book focusses ultimately on intervention studies and so is of practical relevance to people interested in helping autistic children. In addition, it provides a very convenient summary of the principal controversies which currently exist in research on autism.
This book examines autism from the tradition of analytic philosophy, working from the premise that Autism Spectrum Disorders raise interesting philosophical questions that need to be and can be addressed in a manner that is clear, jargon-free, and accessible. The goal of the original essays in this book is to provide a philosophically rich analysis of issues raised by autism and to afford dignity and respect to those impacted by autism by placing it at the center of the discussion.
The book covers some of the key research developments in autism and brings together the current state of evidence on the neurobiologic understanding of this intriguing disorder. The pathogenetic mechanisms are explored by contributors from diverse perspectives including genetics, neuroimaging, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurochemistry, neuroimmunology, neuroendocrinology, functional organization of the brain and clinical applications from the role of diet to vaccines. It is hoped that understanding these interconnected neurobiological systems, the programming of which is genetically modulated during neurodevelopment and mediated through a range of neuropeptides and interacting neurotransmitter systems, would no doubt assist in developing interventions that accommodate the way the brains of individuals with autism function. In keeping with the multimodal and diverse origins of the disorder, a wide range of topics is covered and these include genetic underpinnings and environmental modulation leading to epigenetic changes in the aetiology; neural substrates, potential biomarkers and endophenotypes that underlie clinical characteristics; as well as neurochemical pathways and pathophysiological mechanisms that pave the way for therapeutic interventions.
