Autism

LISA D. BENARON is a graduate of Yale Medical School and is board certified in Pediatrics, Internal Medicine and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. She is the medical director of Far Northern Regional center, where she provides evaluations for individuals of all ages suspected of having an ASD. She is a strong advocate of including the schools in the process of diagnosis. Dr. Benaron served on the advisory committee for the California Department of Developmental Services Best Practice Guidelines for Screening Diagnosis and Assessment of ASDs and is currently on the advisory committee reviewing evidence-based interventions for ASDs.

Writing in clear, conversational prose, Benaron (medical director, Far Northern Regional Center, Redding, CA) leads readers along a difficult path: she tries to make sense of the complicated disorder of autism. The route is confounded at many junctures: debates about labeling and classification systems; variable diagnostic evaluations; the mystery of what causes autism; lack of agreement on the part of professionals about acceptable treatments (both traditional and alternative); lack of knowledge about predicting long-term outcomes for specific individuals… Benaron manages a fair and thorough description of the disorder and the direction of the future work on it. This is an excellent library and classroom resource for those new to autism and for those looking for a recent update of knowledge on the subject. Recommended. Lower-and upper level undergraduates; general readers.'

• Preface Unravelling the MysteryDedicationAcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter 1 Autism, Aspergers Syndrome and the Evolution of the Concept of the Autistic Spectrum DisordersChapter 2 Screening for Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Past, Present and FutureChapter 3 Diagnostic Evaluation for ASDs Part I: Getting StartedChapter 4 Diagnostic Evaluation Part II: Appropriate Use of the DSM-IV-TR Criteria for Autistic Disorder and Supplemental TestsChapter 5 What Can Statistics Tell Us About the ASDs?Chapter 6 What Causes Autism? Part 1: Basic ScienceChapter 7 What Causes Autism? Part 2: Controversial Theories and New Ways to Think About ASDsChapter 8 Conventional InterventionsChapter 9 Complimentary and Alternative Medicine Approaches to Treatment: Biomedical InterventionsChapter 10 OutcomeGlossaryBibliography