What Science Tells Us About Autism Spectrum Disorder

What Science Tells Us about Autism Spectrum Disorder

What have scientists learned about the causes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? Can parents do anything to prevent it? Why do different kids have such different symptoms, and what are the best ways to deal with them? Will there ever be a cure? From leading autism researchers Raphael Bernier, Geraldine Dawson, and Joel Nigg, this accessible guide helps parents put the latest advances to work for their unique child. From the impact of sleep, exercise, diet, and technology, to which type of professional help might be the right fit, the authors cover it all with expertise and compassion. Above all, they emphasize that current progress makes this an encouraging time for anyone who wants to help children and teens on the spectrum live to their fullest potential.

The Neuroscience of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism is no longer considered a rare disease, and the Center for Disease Control now estimates that upwards of 730,000 children in the US struggle with this isolating brain disorder. New research is leading to greater understanding of and ability to treat the disorder at an earlier age. It is hoped that further genetic and imaging studies will lead to biologically based diagnostic techniques that could help speed detection and allow early, more effective intervention. Edited by two leaders in the field, this volume offers a current survey and synthesis of the most important findings of the neuroscience behind autism of the past 20 years. With chapters authored by experts in each topic, the volume explores etiology, neuropathology, imaging, and pathways/models. Offering a broad background of ASDs with a unique focus on neurobiology, the volume offers more than the others on the market with a strictly clinical focus or a single authored perspective that fails to offer expert, comprehensive coverage. Researchers and graduate students alike with an interest in developmental disorders and autism will benefit, as will autism specialists across psychology and medicine looking to expand their expertise. Uniquely explores ASDs from a neurobiological angle, looking to uncover the molecular/cellular basis rather than to merely catalog the commonly used behavioral interventions Comprehensive coverage synthesizes widely dispersed research, serving as one-stop shopping for neurodevelopmental disorder researchers and autism specialists Edited work with chapters authored by leaders in the field around the globe - the broadest, most expert coverage available

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)