The Autistic Spectrum. A Parents' Guide to Understanding and Helping Your Child, Lorna Wing. Not only is Wing internationally recognized in the area of autism, she has been studying autism for 30 years and is the mother of a child with autism. The books explains autism in easily understood terms, helps families understand which 'type' of ASD fits their child, explains how children with ASD experience the world, describes reasons behind behavior and resistance to change, discusses changes that occur as the child grows. The book gives strategies to teach basic skills, improve communication, develop potential abilities and expand social experiences. Wing provides her usual sound advice on family stress and helping siblings. Wing's ambitious goal for the book is to "enable parents and professionals to understand each other a little better and thereby increase the help that each can give to children and adults with autism spectrum disorders." A side note. The brother of the publisher of this book has a young child with autism. The price of this book is very reasonable - $14.95. Just call the customer service department of Ulysses Press at 800-377-2542. Professionals and agencies will want to order copies to loan to families of newly diagnosed children.

Autism Treatment Guide. (1999) Elizabeth K. Gerlach. Author is a parent. Book for parents and professionals provides basic facts, describes effective treatment options, lists extensive resources, suggested readings.

Keys to Parenting the Child with Autism. (1994) Marlene Targ Brill. Highly recommended as a first book. Has sections for Grandparents, dealing with other family, friends, and strangers.

Targeting Autism: What We Know, Don't Know, and Can Do to Help Young Children with Autism and Related Disorders. (1998) Shirley Cohen. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-21309-2. Author spent several years investigating the current state of autism treatment, and the result is an excellent and highly readable book. Up-to-date, including information on CAN, NAAR, Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, regulatory and multi-sensory disorders, abnormal EEGs, valproic acid, AIT, and even vision therapy. Discusses pros and cons, histories and potentials of the major therapeutic options usually considered by parents: TEACCH, Son-Rise, AIT, sensory integration, early childhood programs, Lovaas and Greenspan. Provides examples of children that illustrate the main impairments of social interaction, communication, and restrictive, repetitive and stereotypical patterns of behavior. Samples from the writings of Grandin, Barron, McDonnell, Williams and less well-known adults with autism. She discusses issues that hard to answer, such as "What will my child be like when he's older?" and "Which treatments should I use?" The conclusion from her research is that the approach that you use is not the critical factor: the intensity with which you use that approach is the critical factor. She also concludes that group instruction is ineffective except for higher-functioning kids with language; most children require one on one instruction to make real progress.

Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Finding a Diagnosis and Getting Help (1999) Mitzi Waltz. Provides parents, professionals and newly diagnosed adults with geting a diagnosis, treatment options, coping with diagnosis and treatment, resources, transitioning to adulthood and stories from parents.

Autism - The Facts. Simon Baron-Cohen and Patrick Bolton. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Gives pictures of two children with autism, that illustrate the wide variations of abilities and behavior that exist in the autism spectrum. Describes how a diagnosis is reached and the criteria used. Includes parents' reactions to the diagnosis, ways of coping, how to tell the aware child with autism about their condition and their siblings. Possible causes of autism and how genetics might be involved. Describes various therapies and whether they have been helpful. Positive approach, sound and sensitive advice, encouragement based on realistic expectations and avoids jargon. A good introduction for professionals new to autism.

Crossing Bridges: A Parent's Perspective on Coping After a Child is Diagnosed with Autism/PDD. Written by three mothers of children with autism, offers basic autism information from the down-to-earth perspective of people who live with autism everyday. Information needed to teach parents and extended family about autism, what to expect, and how to cope.

Facing Autism: Giving Parents Reasons for Hope and Guidance for Help (2000) Lynn Hamilton. Waterbrook Press. This book, Facing Autism, is one of the first for new parent that includes information on the new biomedical treatments. The book was written to help parents, to inform them, and to give them hope for their child. It gives parents a plan of action, "Ten Things to Do First." There is an excellent chapter on family issues that was written by Lynn's husband and a chapter written for friends and family on what they can do to support you. The author is a strong advocate of ABA.

For Parents and Professionals: Autism (1998) Kathie Harrington. Moline, IL: LinguiSystems. Non-fiction short stories and 108 activities (divided into three levels) on behavior, language, sensory stimulation and social growth. Includes article "On the Way to the Sky - A Sibling’s View of Autism." Book is inspirational and informational.

What Do We Do Next? Understanding a Diagnosis of Autism. (1999) Families for Early Autism Treatment (F.E.A.T.) of Arizona. FEAT of Arizona, C/O Bardach, 6220 West Peregrine Way, Tucson, Arizona 85745. This video is a first step in becoming educated about autism. It looks at what autism is and what it isn't, the criteria used to reach a diagnosis and mentions choices in treatment and intervention. It breaks down the DSM4 criteria and shows children with autism displaying the behaviors. It also shows these same children acting perfectly appropriately. The program emphasizes the need for early intervention and for parents to stay informed about autism.

Diagnosis/Identification

A Screening Questionnaire for Asperger Syndrome and Other High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders in School Age Children (1999) Stephan Ehlers, Christopher Gillberg and Lorna Wing. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 29, 129-141. The ASSQ is a checklist to assess symptoms characteristic of Asperger Syndrome and other high-functioning autism spectrum disorders in children and adolescents with normal intelligence or mental retardation. Found that the ASSQ was a useful screening to identify autism spectrum disorders in clinical settings. Checklist is designed to be completed by lay informants, needs no prior training and takes about 10 minutes to complete. Caution that the ASSQ should not be used as a stand-alone diagnostic instrument."

A Dimensional Classification of Autism Spectrum Disorder by Social Communication Domains (1998) Peter Tanguay, Julia Robertson and Ann Derrick. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 37, 271-277. Investigated if "social communication" could be used to assess severity of symptoms in autism spectrum disorder. Identified three factors: affective reciprocity, joint attention and theory of mind. Suggested changes in DSM-IV: (1) Vocabulary and grammar deficiencies in people with autism should be coded under developmental language disorder. (2) The diagnosis of Asperger’s disorder may not be needed. (3) The requirement that all persons with autism spectrum disorder have a symptom from the "restrictive, repetitive, and stereotypic" list may need to be reconsidered. Concluded that the DSM-IV category of pervasive developmental disorder may be adequate for diagnosing "classic" autism, but inadequate for diagnosing less severe forms of the disorder."

The Diagnosis of Autism and Asperger syndrome: findings from a survey of 770 families. (1999) Patricia Howlin and Anna Asgharian. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 41, 834-839. Compared the diagnostic experiences of 614 parents of children with autism and 156 with Asperger syndrome. ". . . parents of children given a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome had experienced significantly longer delays and greater frustration in obtaining a diagnosis than those with a child with autism. Average age of diagnosis in autism was about 5.5 years, for Asperger's it was 11 years. Obtaining a diagnosis for a child with Asperger syndrome is made more difficult by the fact that professionals disagree about the criteria for diagnosis. A delay in diagnosis may make it more likely that the siblings with the broader phenotype are even more likely to be overloooked and deprived of the help they may need to minimize their problems.

Neuropsychological Profiles of Children with Asperger Syndrome and Autism. (1999) Janine Manjiviona and Margot Prior. Autism, 3, 327-356. Examined the differences between children with autism and Asperger syndrome using neuropsychological profiles. "Clinically diagnosed children with Asperger syndrome and autism were not differentiated on the basis of their neuropsychological profiles. The major difference between them was the overall higher IQ in Asperger Syndrome, which was largely due to superior verbal abilities . . ." Found no differences on any any neurocognitive measure, no support for neuropsychological theories supporting differential diagnostic status. Did not confirm a the verbal IQ superiority over performance IQ for individuals diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Found a profile similar to that found in autism. Results do not support a history of language delay as a differentiating characteristic between children with Asperger syndrome and autism as defined by DSM-IV and ICD-10 criteria.

Did Asperger’s Cases Have Asperger Disorder? A Research Note. (1997) Judith Miller and Sally Ozonoff. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 247-251. Examined the four cases Asperger originally presented in his 1944 paper (1991/1944). They used DSM-IV criteria and found that all four cases met DSM-IV criteria for Autistic Disorder, rather than Asperger Disorder. Suggest "that the syndrome Asperger originally described may not be captured by present diagnostic criteria."

Asperger Syndrome, Autism and Attention Disorders: A Comparative Study of the Cognitive Profiles of 120 Children. (1997) Stephan Ehlers, Agneta Nyden, Christopher Gillberg, Annika Sandberg, Sven-Olof Dahlgren, Erland Hjelmquist and Anders Oden. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 207-217. Used the WISC-R to asses 120 children with Asperger's, Autism, and attention disorders. "It is important to emphasise that all three diagnostic groups share some behavioural features, and that the Asperger syndrome and autism groups show a clear overlap of symptoms in the areas of social interaction, communication and behaviour. In fact, there is good consensus regarding a continuum of Asperger syndrome and autism at the behavioural level." Their findings indicate that Asperger's and Autism share some WISC cognitive deficits, but they do differ on IQ and verbal ability. Their findings did not show a specific cognitive profile on the WISC for autism spectrum disorders.

Exploring the Boundaries of PDDNOS: Analysis of Data from the DSM-IV Autistic Disorder Field Trial: by Jan Buitelaar, Rutger Van der Gaag, Ami Klin and Fred Volkmar. (1999) Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 29, 33-43. Explored the discrimination between Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDDNOS) and related disorders. "Only a limited number of items from the ICD-10 and DSM-IV systems for autistic disorder significantly discriminated the PDDNOS group from other disorders. ". . .true PDDNOS appears to be a much more heterogeneous category than strictly defined autism", ". . .PDDNOS appears to be basically a lesser variant of autism with impairments in social interaction as a key characteristic."

The Development of the Children’s Social Behavior Questionnaire: Preliminary Data. (1998) Ellen Luteijn, Sandy Jackson, Fred Volkmar and Ruud Minderaa. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 28, 559-565. Results indicate that the CSBQ distinguishes characteristics of PDDNOS from those of normal children. Were able to distinguish two separate PDDNOS groups, hyperactive and withdrawn.

Incidence/Prevalence

Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Seven-Year-Old Children: A Total Population Study. (1999) Bjorn Kadesjo, Christopher Gillberg, and Bibbi Hagberg. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 29, 327-331. All children in Karlstad, Sweden born in 1985 and living in Karlstad in 1992 were screened for autism spectrum disorders. "The rate of Asperger syndrome was not widely discrepant from that of previous reports (48 in 10,000 compared with 26-36 in 10,000 in earlier studies). Note research suggests about one in 250 children have signs of Asperger’s Syndrome. This has serious implications for educators, clinicians and service providers.

Causes

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Fragile Success. Nine Autistic Children, Childhood to Adulthood. (1995) Virginia Walker Sperry. Presents ten case studies of individuals with autism and discusses the nature of childhood autism and teaching children with autism. The studies involve students of the Elizabeth Ives School for Special Children, which Virginia Sperry directed from 1966 to 1972, who were tested at the Yale Child Study Center in childhood; seven of them were tested again in adulthood. The book provides the test results and detailed information about the subjects' lives over the approximately 25-year period, the quality of their lives at the end of the study, what kinds of jobs they held if they work, and what kind of social interactions they had, if any. In the studies, the children's parents discuss their experiences raising a child with autism and caring for an adult with autism. Second edition 2001 adds a new case study and follow-ups for all but one of the original study participants to show how their lives are now. Read more about this book

The Self-Help Guide for Special Kids and their Parents, Joan Matthews and James Williams, 2000. James Williams is an SP or special person - he was diagnosed with autism during early childhood. His mother, Joan Matthews, is an NP or normal person. As James grew up, his different perception of the world and the lack of understanding from NPs created problems. Together, he and his mother met the challenges with ingenuity and humour. One day, while taking a walk, James and Joan decided to write a book of their practical solutions. Covering everything from eye sensitivity, to knowing how far away to stand from other people, to being polite when someone is crying, James and Joan's book describes the problems that an SP may face, and the solutions which they have found to work successfully. Joan Matthews is the mother of James Williams. James,aged 11, is now a fully mainstreamed fifth-grader without special support services. Joan and James live inNorthbrook, Illinois. ISBN 1 85302 914 9. Read more about this book
CONTENTS: (*denotes a chapter by James Williams). 1. Saying Hello. 2. Noise Sensitivity. 3. Eye Contact. 4.Recognizing Faces. 5. Eye Sensitivity. 6. Eye Teaming. 7. Touch Sensitivity. 8. Shaking orHolding Hands. 9. Change. 10. Nose Sensitivity. 11. Food Sensitivity. 12. Food Allergies*. 13.Chewing and Swallowing. 14. Hating Water*. 15. Toilet Training. 16. Going to the Bathroom.17. Breathing Problems*. 18. Teeth Problems*. 19. Space Problems. 20. Knowing How Far Away to Stand from Other People. 21. The Inner Ear. 22. Balance Problems*. 23. Auditory Processing Delays. 24. Having an Urge to Quote. 25. The Music Playing in Your Head. 26.Special Occasions. 27. Being Polite When Someone is Crying. 28. Being Obsessed with theAlphabet. 29. Being Obsessed with Time. 30. Being Obsessed with Music*. 31. Being Obsessed with Numbers*. 32. Being Obsessed with Perfection*. 33. Left vs. Right Hemisphere Processing*. 34. Thinking Styles. 35. Stress*. 36. Behavior Problems*. 37. Discipline. 38. Anger. 39. Going to School. 40. Teasing. 41. Verbal Confusion. 42. Understanding Other People. 43. The Rules of Language. 44. Literal Language. 45. Telling Lies and Keeping Secrets. 46. Using Your Voice Politely*. 47. Mouth Control. 48. Tuning Out. 49. Playing Frozen. 50. Cocooning. 51. Exercise. 52. Pain Problems. 53. Foot Problems. 54. Stomachaches*. 55. Headaches. 56. Neck Problems*. 57. Back Problems*. 58. The Chiropractor. 59. Aiming Problems. 60. Waiting Problems. 61. Connecting with Other People. 62. Saying the Opposite*. 63. Things Mothers Do to Their SPs*. 64. NPs and SPs Together. Part I*. 65. Interrupting Other People*. 66. Being Polite*. 67. Trusting Other People*. 68. Disagreeing with Other People*. 69. Carelessness*. 70. Being Lonely and Making Friends. 71. Loving Other People. 72. Understanding Feelings. 73. Cooperation. 74. Being Flexible. 75. Making Good Decisions. 76. Freedom of Choice. 77. Cleaning Up. 78. Future Judgment*. 79. Needing Other People. 80. Mine and Yours*. 81. Doing Things Other People Want You to Do*. 82. NPs and SPs Together. Part II. 83. Reciprocity*. 84. Saying Goodbye. Conclusion: The Final Frontier*. Appendix 1. Getting Better. Appendix 2. The Self-Help Guide to Teaching Language. Appendix 3. The Self-Help Guide to Teaching Social Skills. Appendix 4. The Self-Help Guide for Successful Teaching. Appendix 5. SPs in the New Millennium.

Children with Autism and Asperger Syndrome - A Guide for Practitioners and Carers. (1998) Patricia Howlin. Wiley. ISBN 0 471 983284. A practical handbook that takes into account recent developments in research. Covers many aspects of autism, from diagnosis and genetic factors to improving communication and social understanding, from managing obsessive behaviour to finding suitable education. Useful overview of interventions. Emphasizes communication skills and social understanding which have a positive effect on behavior. Providing a structured, autism-friendly environment is stressed, though not at the expense of the the family. Focus is on finding solutions that work for the family, including the parents and siblings. Uses examples of individual cases from clinical experience. A toolkit for families to work out an individualized approach to help themselves and their child. For professionals there are extensive tables and references and a sensitivity towards people with autism that provides a model to emulate. Advice includes the observation that, given the possible genetic basis of some individuals with autism, parents who appear to be awkward and uncooperative may well be on the spectrum themselves and benefit from clear and unambiguous communication.

Understanding and Working with the Spectrum of Autism. An Insider's View, Wendy Lawson, 2001. To many of the people who live or work with an individual with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the processes by which those with autism make sense of the world around them may seem mysterious. This book demonstrates these processes using comparisons from the non-ASD world to help professionals, families and carers to relate to and communicate with people with ASD better. Presenting a range of interventions and strategies for particular situations. Analyses ASD characteristics and examines interventions for dealing with social skills, anger management and self-esteem. Stress, its effects on the families of children with autism, and how best it can be alleviated, is also explored. Introduction to ASD for social workers, nurses, health professionals and those working in related fields. Wendy Lawson, who has Asperger Syndrome, was considered to be intellectually disabled as a child and lived with a misdiagnosis of schizophrenia for over 25 years. She overcame this to become a social worker and adult educator who now runs her own business. ISBN 1 85302 971 8. Read more about this book

It can get better . . . Dealing with common behaviour problems in young autistic children - A guide for parents and carers. Paul Dickinson and Liz Hannah. National Autistic Society. Problems of tantrums, sleeping, eating and toileting are well covered as well as self-help skills, obsessional behaviour and dangerous and agressive behaviour. Authors show great empathy with the difficulties faced by parents. Includes humorous stories, a high point of the book. If you can laugh at some of the incredible things your child does the battle is halfway won.

Videos from IRCA Several years ago at one of the ASA Conferences, several participants told us it would be great if there were videos done which featured folks with autism being interviewed. As a result of this request, the Indiana Resource Center for Autism conducted interviews at the MAAP Conference. The end result is four videos that feature folks like Temple Grandin, Jean-Paul Bovee, Ruth Elaine Hanes, Paul McDonnell and many others. The four videos are: Untapped Talents: Pursuing Employment, discusses difficulties and supports associated with work. We've Climbed Mountains: Increasing Our Understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorders, this is an awareness video. Finding out What Works: Creating Envrionments Where All Can Learn, provides information on educational struggles and supports. Developing Friendships: Wonderful People to Get to Know, talks about the social challenges and the need for relationships. The videos were completed in 2001 and range from 11-23 minutes. They are a bargain at $35 each. Indiana Resource Center for Autism, 2853 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, IN 47408. Phone: 812-855-6508 FAX: 812-855-9630, www.iidc.indiana.edu/~irca

The Autism Continuum. Temple Grandin. Future Horizons. In this video, Dr. Grandin, an individual with autism, presents a unique insider's look at autism, its characteristics and how it affects communication, social and sensory processing

Visual Thinking. (1999) Temple Grandin. Video offers personal challenges and ideas and suggestions to improve the lives of people with autism.

A is for Autism (1994) Short video offers a glimpse into autism with words, drawings and music contributed by people with autism. Temple Grandin does part of the voice-over as she and others describe their unique sensory differences. Films for the Humanities and Sciences, P.O. Box 2053, Princeton, N.J., 08543-3767, 800-257-5126 Fax: 609-275-3767. British Film Institute, 21 Stephen Street, London, England W1P1PL. Phone: 071-255-1444

Autism: the Child Who Couldn't Play. (1998) This video provides an excellent overview of what autism is, and the effective treatment (ABA) that is now available, especially if started young. Available as item #6497 from Films for the Humanities & Sciences, P.O. Box 2053, Princeton, NJ 08543-2053, (800) 257-5126.

Shadow Syndromes. (1997) John Ratey and Catherine Johnson. Pantheon Books. Written in layman's terms, describes how the brain functions and what is misfunctioning in many syndromes, including autism, attention deficit disorder, and obsessive-complusive disorder, amoung others, including Tourettes. Touches on both the latest non-drug and drug therapies for these disorders, and explains not only what should help, but why. Topics include a definition of autism, social deficits in higher-functioning adults with autism, and how ADD, obsessive- complusive disorder and autism are inter-related.

An Anthropologist on Mars Oliver Sacks. ISBN 0 330 33717. In this book Sacks has chapters on two people with autism, the savant artist Stephen Wiltshire and Temple Grandin. Sacks spent some time travelling with Stephen Wiltshire and describes not only his artistic talent but also his attempts to get to know Stephen as a person. The chapter on Temple Grandin gives Temple's description of her autism in sensory and biological terms and Sacks looks at cognitive and affective factors. The title of the book comes from Temple Grandin's own description of herself - she is still trying to puzzle out our strange world

Avoiding Unfortunate Situations. Dennis Debbaudt. Dennis Debbaudt went to the mall one day with his son with autism. As they passed a toy store, the child decided that he really wanted a $250 toy car. Naturally, Dennis refused to buy it, and the child threw a tantrum. He slung the child over his shoulder and brought him out to where he'd parked the car. A mall security guard followed him, and went up to his son and asked the boy what was happening. Apparently someone had alerted the security guard that a child was being kidnapped! Dennis straightened things out, but that incident got him to thinking about people with autism and law enforcement personnel, and some of the unfortunate situations that could arise. A 22 year veteran of law enforcement in the private sector, he has developed police training materials, including a video.

Autism - an introduction to psychological theory Francesca Happé. London: UCL Press (University College London) ISBN 1-85728-230-2. Book is an overview of current thinking on autism for psychology students. Explanations of autism at the biological, cognitive and behavioural levels. Chapters looking at behviors and how they fit into current diagnostic schemes and biology, with the majority of the book focused on psychological aspects. Good information on the Theory of Mind. Also contains a chapter on Asperger Syndrome and the confusion surrounding this diagnostic category.

Asperger's/High Functioning

For People with AS/HFA

AS and additional disorders

Asperger's Syndrome, A Guide for Parents and Professionals. (1998) Tony Attwood. London: Jessica Kingsley. Attwood's philosopy is that Asperger's ". . . is not a condition to be ashamed of, but one to express with pride." Book describes the six pathways to a diagnosis of Asperger's. The book is thorough and packed with information. Describes all of the characteristics of Asperger's Syndrome, and gives concrete suggestions on how to help the individual with Asperger's to function better in each area of need. One of the best features of the book is the attention given to social skills, providing concrete suggestions on what to teach and how to teach.

Aspergers Syndrome. A Guide for Educators and Parents. (1998) Brenda Smith Myles & Richard L. Simpson. PRO-ED. Information on assesment, teaching academics, social & behavioral success, planning for life after school and understanding the impact on the family.

Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments: Practical Solutions for Tantrums, Rage, and Meltdowns. Brenda Smith Myles and Jack Southwick. Emphasis on behavioral issues with strategies to promote social skills development. Includes self-awareness, self-calming and self-management. Also useful for living/working with individuals with autism.

Asperger Syndrome in the Family Redefining Normal. Liane Holliday Willey, 2001. Liane and one of her daughters both have Asperger Syndrome. She looks, with honesty, wisdom and humor, at the implications this has for her family, both the Aspie and the non-Aspie members. Personal vignettes, frank discussions and practical suggestions for dealing with everything from major to minor challenges. The book underscores the importance of mutual support and respect and offers practical help for families in similar situations. Liane Holliday Willey is a doctor of education, a writer and a researcher who specializes in psycholinguistics and learning style differences. Dr. Willey is an energetic educator and advocate of Asperger issues. ISBN 1 85302 873. Read more about this book

Asperger Syndrome, the Universe and Everything. Kenneth's Book. Kenneth Hall, 2000. Kenneth Hall was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at the age of eight. He has a warm and positive attitude about Asperger Syndrome which other children will find inspiring. Insights, struggles and joys are recounted vividly in a frank and humorous way. His book is for anyone interested in understanding more about autism, including parents, siblings, teachers and professionals. Kenneth Hall is a 10-year-old boy who has Asperger Syndrome. He is also exceptionally gifted and a member of Mensa. He lives in Northern Ireland, and some of his main interests are maths, computers and books of adventure stories. He is very keen that people should know and understand more about autism. ISBN 1 85302 930 0. Read more about this book

Our Journey Through High Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome. A Roadmap, Edited by Linda Andron, 2001. With honesty and humor, the families who have contributed to this book describe the ways autism has affected their daily lives, the challenges they have faced and the approaches they have found beneficial. They share their practical and original strategies for dealing with issues such as helping children to develop empathy and humor, developing and maintaining friendships and explaining their autism spectrum disorders to other people. Linda Andron is a licensed clinical social worker, Adjunct Lecturer in Psychiatry and Bio-Behavioural Sciences and Clinical Instructor at the University of California at Los Angeles. She is the director of the UCLA Family Support Community Program and the clinical director of the Center for Asperger's Assessment and Intervention at the HELP Group. She has worked with over 500 families of children with High Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome and is a member of the Professional Advisory Board of the Autism Society of Los Angeles. ISBN 1 85302 947 5. Read more about this book

Asperger's Syndrome: A video guide for parents and professionals. Tony Attwood. Two tape set is available from Future Horizons. Attwood's book was published in 1997. Since then more information has become available. In 1998 Attwood's workshop was videotaped to reflect updated information. Video provides new information and is especially useful for in-service training for teachers and professionals and watched by family members as an alternative to reading.

Autism Asperger’s Digest: A bimonthly magazine devoted to Autism & Asperger's Syndrome. Published by Future Horizons, Inc. the magazine features originally written articles by noted autism professionals, parents and individuals with ASD covering a wide range of topics. Regular columns include Autism: The Way I See It by Temple Grandin, Research Update, Special Education Law, NetNews and Ask the Experts. Subscriptions or single issues available by calling 800.489.0727 or www.autismdigest.com.

For People with Asperger's/High Functioning Autism

What is Asperger's Syndrome and How will it Affect Me? A guide for young people. (1999) Martin Ives. British National Autism Society. ISBN 1 899280 04 9. Book introduces the child to the diagnosis with answers to questions they may ask.

Asperger's Huh?. A Child's Perspective. (1999) Rosina G. Schnurr. Anisor Publishing. ISBN O 9684473 O 9. Author is a clinical psychologist Canada. Excellent for children with AS who want to learn how another child might feel. Also good for non-handicapped peers. The book is written from the child's perspective with a very positive approach.

COPING: A survival guide for people with Asperger's Syndrome. Marc Segar. Provides invaluable advice. Early Years Diagnostic Centre, 272 Longdale Lane, Ravenshead, Notts NG15 9AH Tel: 01623 490879. Online at www.shifth.mistral.co.uk/autism/marc.htm. Also The Battles of an Austic Thinker.

Comorbidity of Asperger Syndrome: a Preliminary Report. (1998) M. Ghaziuddin, E. Weider-Mikhail and N Ghaziuddin. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 42, 279-283. Preliminary report on individuals with AS and the occurrence of psychiatric disorders. Sixty-five percent had symptoms of additional psychiatric disorder. Children were more likely to suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression was the most common diagnosis in adolescents and adults. Findings indicate that children with a diagnosis of ADHD who display social difficulties should be screened for AS, and adolescents and adults with AS should be examined for comorbid depression. Stated that "It is possible that children with AS are sometimes misdiagnosed with ADHD."

Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism (1998) Christopher Gillberg. British Journal of Psychiatry, 171, 200-209. States that ". . . in some individuals it might be appropriate to diagnose autism at one point in time and AS at another." Noted that slightly different criteria and guidelines may be needed for clinical practice rather than research. In clinical work, the diagnosis that will be of most help to the individual and his/her family is needed. Noted "About half of a total population of AS cases were not referred to doctors or psychologists at school age, even when problems were well recognised by teachers." Author stated that "AS may remain undiagnosed well into adulthood. Even then, it is more likely that, if referral is made, the diagnosis will not be AS, but may come out as schizoid or schizotypal personality disorder, type II schizophrenia, atypical depression, paranoid disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder. In one population-study that included cases with AS, (Hellgren et al 1994) two out of three individuals had severe alcohol problems already at age 16 years." He noted studies that suggest a high incidence of suicide in AS.

Sensory Issues

Autism - Handle with Care: Understanding and Managing the Behavior of Children and Adults with Autism. (1995) Gail Gillingham. Looks at behaviors from a sensory point of view, offers tips, suggestions and 'methods' of care.

Sensory Challenges and Answers. (1999) Temple Grandin. Temple describes her sensory challenges and offers ideas and suggestions for others.

The Out-of-Sync Child. Carol Stock Kranowitz. If you look up the word "autism" in the index, it is mentioned only once! This book is written for parents of kids with NO diagnosis. It does give a clear and complete description of the symptoms of Sensory Integration-Dysfunction and an explanation of how it can affect a child's behavior. Describes treatment and gives parents many activities that they can do at home to help their children. Suggestions for teachers on how to make school a less overwhelming experience for these children. "The brain-behavior connection is very strong. Because the child with SI Dysfunction has a disorganized brain, many aspects of his behavior are disorganized. His overall development is disorderly, and his participation in childhood experiences is spotty, reluctant, or inept. For the out-of-sync child, performing ordinary tasks and responding to everyday events can be enormously challenging. The inability to function smoothly is not because the child won't, but because he can't. Whether the child has severe, moderate, or mild dysfunction, he or she needs understanding and help. Ignoring problems won't make them disappear."