The Handbook of Autism

Autism is a variable and complex developmental disorder which is frequently not recognised or else is misunderstood by both parents and professionals. The Handbook of Autism dispels many of the myths associated with this puzzling condition and provides readers with practical, up-to-date information. Maureen Aarons and Tessa Gittens have worked with autistic children for over twenty years, and are convinced that parents have a right to know as much as possible about autism. By clarifying the essential issues concerning the recognition of autism, their book permits parents and professionals to reach a better mutual understanding. It enables readers to understand autism in a wider perspective, both its history and current research into possible causes; it also looks at the latest thinking on diagnosis, management and education, and on medical aspects. The authors describe their developmental approach to the assessment of autism in individual children and explore areas of special difficulty such as social understanding and communication. Case studies are used to illustrate the variability of autism, and an appendix of useful addresses is included.