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Autism - The Search for Coherence

Author : John Richer

Publisher : Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Page : 354 pages

File Size : 31,2 MB

Release : 2001-04-10

Category : Education

ISBN : 1846421640

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Book Description

Autism - The Search for Coherence takes a multidisciplinary approach to autism, its causes and treatments, bringing together contributors from different fields - psychology, medicine, education, biology - from around the world. The very latest scientific and clinical research is presented and discussed by experts, and questions such as the structure of thought and the nature of autism are analysed. Parents and teachers describe practical strategies which have proved successful and give their views of the treatments currently available. Autism - The Search for Coherence shares the knowledge accumulated by all fields studying autism to provide a greater coherence to our understanding of it. It is a significant contribution to the literature, and will be welcomed by all those working with autistic people.





The Cradle of Thought

Author : R. Peter Hobson

Publisher :

Page : 332 pages

File Size : 11,65 MB

Release : 2004

Category : Psychology

ISBN : 9780195219548

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Book Description

Imaginative and creative thought is what distinguishes humans from animals. It is what defines us as Homo sapiens. What it means to have thoughts, and what gives us the remarkable capacity to think, have been subjects of debate for centuries. In The Cradle of Thought, Peter Hobson presents a new and provocative theory about the nature and origins of uniquely human thinking. A prevailing opinion on the acquisition of thought and language is that babies are born with pre-programmed modules in the brain. But this is too narrow and too simplistic an explanation. Professor Hobson's radical view is that what gives us the capacity to think is the quality of a baby's exchanges with other people over the first 18 months of life. As part and parcel of an intellectual revolution in the second year, the child achieves new insight into the minds of itself and others. Human thought, language, and self-awareness are developed in the cradle of emotional engagement between infant and caregiver; social contact has vital significance for mental development. Professor Hobson draws on 20 years of clinical experience and academic research as a developmental psychologist, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. He follows the thread of mental development over the first 18 months of ababy's life to describe and to explain the emergence of thinking; he shares startling insights into mental development gained from his studies of autism; and he shows how, from infancy to adulthood, disturbances of thinking may be rooted in troubled early relationships. Finally, he pinpoints tiny but momentus changes in the social relations of pre-human primates from which human thought sprang. In this fascinating and thought-provoking book, Peter Hobson shows how very early engagement with others fosters the child's growth out of the cradle of infancy and into the realm of human thought and culture.



Autism

Author : Sue Fletcher-Watson

Publisher : Routledge

Page : 292 pages

File Size : 16,93 MB

Release : 2019-01-24

Category : Psychology

ISBN : 1351589822

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Book Description

Based on Francesca Happé’s best-selling textbook, Autism: An Introduction to Psychological Theory, this completely new edition provides a concise overview of contemporary psychological theories about autism. Fletcher-Watson and Happé explore the relationship between theories of autism at psychological (cognitive), biological and behavioural levels, and consider their clinical and educational impact. The authors summarise what is known about the biology and behavioural features of autism, and provide concise but comprehensive accounts of all influential psychological models including ‘Theory of Mind’ (ToM) models, early social development models and alternative information processing models such as ‘weak central coherence’ theory. The book also discusses more recent attempts to understand autism, including the ‘Double Empathy Problem’ and Bayesian theories. In each case, the authors describe the theory, review the evidence and provide critical analysis of its value and impact. Recognising the multiplicity of theoretical views, and rapidly changing nature of autism research, each chapter considers current debates and major questions that remain for the future. Importantly, the book includes the voices of autistic people, including parents and practitioners, who were asked to provide commentaries on each chapter, helping to contextualise theory and research evidence with accounts of real-life experience. The book embraces neurodiversity whilst recognising the real needs of autistic people and their families. Thus Autism: A New Introduction to Psychological Theory and Current Debate provides the reader with a critical overview of psychological theory but also embeds this within community perspectives, making it a relevant and progressive contribution to understanding autism, and essential reading for students and practitioners across educational, clinical and social settings.



The Development of Autism

Author : Jacob A. Burack

Publisher : Routledge

Page : 674 pages

File Size : 30,95 MB

Release : 2001-06-01

Category : Education

ISBN : 1135669074

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Book Description

Dedicated to the memory and work of Lisa Capps, this volume is a forum for scholars and practitioners interested in the typical and atypical development of persons with autism. Each chapter is focused on theoretical considerations and the empirical evidence regarding a specific aspect of functioning, but common themes of development are considered throughout. Within this framework, the contributors provide a detailed and comprehensive account of the development of persons with autism. The book is divided into four sections: (1) Developmental, Neurobiological, Genetic, and Family Considerations; (2) Attention and Perception; (3) Cognition, Theory of Mind, and Executive Functioning; and (4) Social and Adaptive Behaviors. With the consideration of this broad range of topics, this volume is both a state-of-the-art resource about autism and a unique contribution to the study of development. It will be of interest to researchers and care providers from several domains, including psychology, psychiatry, social work, developmental psychology, and education. This volume can be used as a text in graduate and advanced undergraduate courses, and as a resource in applied settings.



The Passionate Mind

Author : Wendy Lawson

Publisher : Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Page : 226 pages

File Size : 37,66 MB

Release : 2011-03-15

Category : Psychology

ISBN : 0857003135

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Book Description

In her new book, Wendy Lawson examines traditional theories about the autism spectrum (AS) and reveals their gaps and shortcomings. Showing that a completely different way of thinking about AS is needed, she sets forward the theory of Single Attention and Associated Cognition in Autism (SAACA), an approach that explains autism in terms of the unique learning style of AS individuals. The SAACA approach suggests that whereas neurotypical people can easily shift their attention from one task to another, those on the autism spectrum tend to use just one sense at a time, leading to a deep, intense attention. From the perspective of this new approach, Wendy describes practical outcomes for individuals, families, and places of education and employment, and shows that when the unique learning style of AS is understood, valued, and accommodated, AS individuals can be empowered to achieve their fullest potential. This is a fascinating read for anyone with a personal or professional interest in the autism spectrum, including clinical practitioners, educators, researchers, individuals on the spectrum and their families, teachers, occupational therapists, and other professionals.



Autism: A Very Short Introduction

Author : Uta Frith

Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA

Page : 145 pages

File Size : 28,13 MB

Release : 2008-10-23

Category : Medical

ISBN : 0199207569

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Book Description

"What is autism and Asperger syndrome? What are the core symptoms, and what causes them? How early can autism be recognised and what can be done? Why does autism seem to be more and more common? Are we all a little bit autistic?" "This Very Short Introduction offers a clear statement on what is currently known about autism and Asperger syndrome. Looking at symptoms from the full spectrum of autistic disorders, and evaluating current evidence from neuroscience and genetics, this authoritative and accessible book explores the source and nature of social impairment and exceptional talent. Autism: A Very Short Introduction gives a glimpse of life seen through the eyes of autism."--BOOK JACKET.



Mindblindness

Author : Simon Baron-Cohen

Publisher : MIT Press

Page : 206 pages

File Size : 31,42 MB

Release : 1997-01-22

Category : Design

ISBN : 9780262522250

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Book Description

In Mindblindness, Simon Baron-Cohen presents a model of the evolution and development of "mindreading." He argues that we mindread all the time, effortlessly, automatically, and mostly unconsciously. It is the natural way in which we interpret, predict, and participate in social behavior and communication. We ascribe mental states to people: states such as thoughts, desires, knowledge, and intentions. Building on many years of research, Baron-Cohen concludes that children with autism, suffer from "mindblindness" as a result of a selective impairment in mindreading. For these children, the world is essentially devoid of mental things. Baron-Cohen develops a theory that draws on data from comparative psychology, from developmental, and from neuropsychology. He argues that specific neurocognitive mechanisms have evolved that allow us to mindread, to make sense of actions, to interpret gazes as meaningful, and to decode "the language of the eyes." A Bradford Book



Worlds of Autism

Author : Joyce Davidson

Publisher : U of Minnesota Press

Page : 363 pages

File Size : 46,85 MB

Release : 2013-11-01

Category : Education

ISBN : 145294024X

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Book Description

Since first being identified as a distinct psychiatric disorder in 1943, autism has been steeped in contestation and controversy. Present-day skirmishes over the potential causes of autism, how or even if it should be treated, and the place of Asperger’s syndrome on the autism spectrum are the subjects of intense debate in the research community, in the media, and among those with autism and their families. Bringing together innovative work on autism by international scholars in the social sciences and humanities, Worlds of Autism boldly challenges the deficit narrative prevalent in both popular and scientific accounts of autism spectrum disorders, instead situating autism within an abilities framework that respects the complex personhood of individuals with autism. A major contribution to the emerging, interdisciplinary field of critical autism studies, this book is methodologically and conceptually broad. Its authors explore the philosophical questions raised by autism, such as how it complicates neurotypical understandings of personhood; grapple with the politics that inform autism research, treatment, and care; investigate the diagnosis of autism and the recognition of difference; and assess representations of autism and stories told by and about those with autism. From empathy, social circles, and Internet communities to biopolitics, genetics, and diagnoses, Worlds of Autism features a range of perspectives on autistic subjectivities and the politics of cognitive difference, confronting society’s assumptions about those with autism and the characterization of autism as a disability. Contributors: Dana Lee Baker, Washington State U; Beatrice Bonniau, Paris Descartes U; Charlotte Brownlow, U of Southern Queensland, Australia; Kristin Bumiller, Amherst College; Brigitte Chamak, Paris Descartes U; Kristina Chew, Saint Peter’s U, New Jersey; Patrick McDonagh, Concordia U, Montreal; Stuart Murray, U of Leeds; Majia Holmer Nadesan, Arizona State U; Christina Nicolaidis, Portland State U; Lindsay O'Dell, Open U, London; Francisco Ortega, State U of Rio de Janeiro; Mark Osteen, Loyola U, Maryland; Dawn Eddings Prince; Dora Raymaker; Sara Ryan, U of Oxford; Lila Walsh.



Educational Provision for Children with Autism and Asperger Syndrome

Author : Glenys Jones

Publisher : Routledge

Page : 174 pages

File Size : 24,25 MB

Release : 2013-04-15

Category : Education

ISBN : 1136611649

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Book Description

The range of educational options available to a child with Autism and Asperger syndrome is broad, but choosing the right path can often be a complex task for all involved. This book provides information and advice for professionals and parents making crucial decisions about meeting the needs of children with autistic spectrum disorder. It covers the range of intellectual ability from those having severe learning difficulties to those of above average intelligence. Practical advice for those working with children from preschool to post-16 is given on: choosing the most appropriate educational placement; making decisions on which educational interventions to follow; creating an effective educational environment; working with staff and other children to maximum effect; writing effective individual education plans; working with parents and families; enabling a smooth transition between classes and stages of education; and life beyond school.