Autism: New Directions in Research and Education presents the results of research on autism and the experiences of the families of autistic children, as well as the trials and tribulations of a psychologist working with an autistic child. The successes and failures of educational programs are discussed, followed by a detailed and helpful account on the value and limitations of a method of teaching language through simultaneous use of signs and speech. This monograph consists of 25 chapters and opens with an overview of the various behaviors likely to be exhibited by autistic persons, along with the theory of autism. It then considers a person's presentation about stuttering in relation to early infantile autism. An important point emphasized throughout this work is that an autistic child can be helped only if a serious attempt is made to see the world from his point of view, so that the adaptive function of much of his peculiar behavior can be understood in the context of his handicaps. The following chapters explore individual differences in the acquisition of sign language by severely communicatively-impaired children; the autistic child's disturbances of perception, speech, and language; and the nature and relevance of simultaneous communication with autistic children. This book should prove useful to clinicians, researchers, parents, teachers, and students.

In recent decades, a growing number of children have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a condition characterized by, among other features, social interaction deficits and language impairment. Yet the precise nature of the disorder’s impact on language development is not well understood, in part because of the language variability among children across the autism spectrum. The contributors to this volume — experts in fields ranging from communication disorders to developmental and clinical psychology to linguistics — use innovative techniques to address two broad questions: Is the variability of language development and use in children with ASD a function of the language, such that some linguistic domains are more vulnerable to ASD than others? Or is the variability a function of the individual, such that some characteristics predispose those with ASD to have varying levels of difficulty with language development and use? Contributors investigate these questions across linguistic levels, from lexical semantics and single-clause syntax, to computationally complex phonology and the syntax-pragmatics interface. Authors address both spoken and written domains within the wider context of language acquisition. This timely and broadly accessible volume will be of interest to a broad range of specialists, including linguists, psychologists, sociologists, behavioral neurologists, and cognitive neuroscientists.

International interest in the use of assistive and ambient information and communication technologies to support people with a range of cognitive impairments is growing rapidly. Autism spectrum disorders ASDs, which affect social skills, communicative abilities and behavior, are of particular interest. The number of diagnosed cases has continued to grow in recent decades, and the impairments associated with ASDs mean individuals affected are at risk of social isolation and marginalization. Although helping people with autism to overcome their difficulties has always required the joint expertise of various fields, the widely shared

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a relatively new diagnostic label which reflects the variability and differentiation of symptomatology among children and youth commonly described as having autistic disorder, high-functioning autism (HFA), and Asperger's syndrome. Current best practices have emerged from decades of evidence-based research, research-to-practice translation of empirically supported procedures, and consensus-driven recommendations from multiple disciplines. As a result, practitioners have many educational and intervention choices for children and youth with ASD--what is critical is that these options are informed by empirical outcomes that have been replicated in experimental trials (group and single-case) and disseminated to professionals and researchers alike. Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a state-of-the-art volume of 15 chapters across four thematic sections that reflect the current convention of viewing autism along a continuum of presenting symptoms. Skillfully edited by James K. Luiselli, sections cover diagnosis, assessment, and measurement; evidence-based practices; health and development; and additional topics such as mindful caregiving and support, CBT, and behavioral family intervention. Compiling the most up-to-date advances in approaches toward diagnosis, education, treatment, and program development, Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will be a valuable resource for professionals and trainees in the ASD field including psychologists, educators, therapists, behavior analysts, and similar practitioners. It is also appropriate for academic researchers and courses devoted to clinical psychology, special education, developmental disabilities, and special topics.

"This book brings together relevant theoretical frameworks and empirical research concerning the emerging technologies that benefit individuals living with autism"--

This book focuses on the emerging and expanding areas of research on ASD and their potential to lead to better diagnosis and more effective therapies. These areas include innovative and integrative approaches to genetic/genomic analyses and investigations of epigenetic contributions, including the role of noncoding RNAs, DNA methylation, alternative splicing, RNA editing, and faulty translation in gene regulation and expression, metabolic and immune dysfunction, co-morbidities, as well as hormonal and gene-environment interactions that may increase risk for ASD. Within each chapter, experts review cutting-edge research as well as provide their perspective on the future of research in their respective areas, including the challenges involved and the types of studies or advances that are necessary to move the field forward to achieve predicted translational goals. Contributors: Argel Aguilar-Valles, Evdokia Anagnostou, Emma Ashwin, Bonnie Auyeung, Kelly M Bakulski, Simon Baron-Cohen, Margaret L Bauman, Donna Betts, Chad A Bousman, Daniel B Campbell, Manuel F Casanova, Bhismadev Chakrabarti, Gursharan Chana, Abha Chauhan, Ved Chauhan, Jessica DeWitt, Keith W Dunaway, Alal Eran, Ian P Everall, M Daniele Fallin, Richard E Frye, Piers Gillett, Matthew Ginsberg, Christos G Gkogkas, Rhonda J Greenhaw, Simon G Gregory, Elena L Grigorenko, Feng Gu, Rebecca Harmer, Martha Herbert, Valerie W Hu, Karen L Jones, Petra Kern, Arkady Khoutorsky, Rebecca Knickmeyer, Isaac S Kohane, Louis M Kunkel, Janine M LaSalle, Michael V Lombardo, Deepali Mankad, Marvin Natowicz, Laura Nicholls, Christos Pantelis, Natalia Rakhlin, Radhika Ramadas, Daniel A Rossignol, Tewarit Sarachana, Stephen W Scherer, Gabriela Schmulevich, Ayten Shah, Frank R Sharp, Alison B Singer, Efstratios Skafidas, Estate M Sokhadze, Nahum Sonenberg, Boryana Stamova, Zohreh Talebizadeh, Renee Testa, Judy Van de Water, Irina Voineagu, Daniel Williams, Ryan K C Yuen, Daniela Zantomio. Contents:Dissecting the Genetic Architecture of ASD:Phenotype Definition: A Cornerstone of Autism Research, Diagnosis and Therapy (Valerie W Hu)From Molecular Pathways to ASD Therapy: Insights from Syndromic Forms of Autism (Laura Nicholls, Radhika Ramadas and Irina Voineagu)Language Impairment in Autism Spectrum Disorders (Natalia Rakhlin and Elena L Grigorenko)Whole Genome Sequencing in Autism: Clinical Translation (Ryan K C Yuen and Stephen W Scherer)The Impact of Integrative Unconventional Data Analysis Approaches on Advancing Autism Genetics Research (Zohreh Talebizadeh and Ayten Shah)Construction of a Genetic Classifier for ASD Using Gene Pathway Analysis (Gursharan Chana, Renee Testa, Piers Gillett, Daniel Williams, Chad A Bousman, Daniela Zantomio, Ian P Everall, Christos Pantelis and Efstratios Skafidas)Gene Dysregulation in ASD: From Transcription to Translation:Genome-Wide Expression Studies of Blood and Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines in Autism Spectrum Disorders (Boryana Stamova and Frank R Sharp)Searching in the “Dark”: Non-Coding RNA as a New Avenue of Autism Research (Tewarit Sarachana and Valerie W Hu)Targeting Noncoding RNA for Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders (Jessica DeWitt and Daniel B Campbell)A-to-I RNA Editing in Autism Spectrum Disorder (Alal Eran, Isaac S Kohane and Louis M Kunkel)Translational Control of Autism and Fragile-X Syndrome (Christos G Gkogkas, Argel Aguilar-Valles, Arkady Khoutorsky and Nahum Sonenberg)Epigenetic, Environmental, and Physiological Contributions to ASD:Epigenetics in Autism (Matthew Ginsberg and Marvin Natowicz)The Epigenetics of Autism — Running Beyond the Bases (Simon G Gregory)Genes and Environment in Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Integrated Perspective (Kelly M Bakulski, Alison B Singer and M Daniele Fallin)The Potential Brain Drain from Environmental Exposures on the Methylome and Genome Across Generations (Janine M LaSalle and Keith W Dunaway)Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in ASDs (Feng Gu, Ved Chauhan and Abha Chauhan)Maternal Autoantibodies in Autism Spectrum Disorder (Karen L Jones and Judy Van de Water)Why is Autism More Common in Males? (Simon Baron-Cohen, Michael V Lombardo, Bonnie Auyeung, Emma Ashwin, Bhismadev Chakrabarti and Rebecca Knickmeyer)Moving Towards Personalized Treatment of ASD and Lifespan Issues:Future Directions in Psychopharmacology of Autism Spectrum Disorder (Deepali Mankad and Evdokia Anagnostou)Medical Co-Morbidities in Autism: Clues to Underlying Biological Mechanisms and/or Diagnostic Subtypes? (Margaret L Bauman)Translational Implications of a Whole-Body Approach to Brain Health in Autism: How Transduction Between Metabolism and Electrophysiology Points to Mechanisms for Neuroplasticity (Martha R Herbert)Achieving Optimal Outcomes in Autism: Treating Potentially Reversible Conditions Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Richard E Frye and Daniel A Rossignol)Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Application in Autism Treatment (Manuel F Casanova and Estate M Sokhadze)Music Therapy: Personalized Interventions for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Petra Kern)The Contributions of Art Therapy in Treatment, Assessment, and Research with People Who have Autism Spectrum Disorders (Donna Betts, Rebecca Harmer and Gabriela Schmulevich)Shifting Paradigms: An Examination of Our Understanding of Adult Autism (Rhonda J Greenhaw) Readership: Established investigators and students engaged in autism research; also the general population, especially families of individuals affected by ASD and their professional caregivers. Key Features:This book presents a prospective look forward at autism research in multiple rapidly evolving areas, thus helping to provide focus and directions for future studiesThis book provides perspectives on what translational outcomes (e.g., novel and targeted therapeutics) can be anticipated from such studiesStrong focus on patient-centered researchKeywords:Autism Spectrum Disorders;Genetics;Genomics;Transciptome;Gene Regulation;Epigenetics;Noncoding RNA;RNA Editing;Gene-Environment Interactions;Sex Bias in ASD;Metabolic Dysfunction;Novel Therapeutics;Art Therapy;Music Therapy;Adult Population