Catatonia, Shutdown and Breakdown in Autism


Book Description

This ground-breaking book provides the first detailed clinical analysis of the various manifestations of catatonia, shutdown and breakdown in autistic individuals, with a new assessment framework (ACE-S) and guidance on intervention and management strategies using a psycho-ecological approach. Based on Dr Amitta Shah's lifetime of clinical experience in Autism Spectrum Disorders, and her research in collaboration with Dr Lorna Wing, this much needed book will be a valuable resource for professionals, autistic individuals and their families and carers.




Electroconvulsive Therapy in Children and Adolescents


Book Description

This is a pioneering book about the use of ECT in adolescents who are diagnosed with severe, disabling psychiatric disorders or fail conventional treatment. Included are a review of the literature, firsthand experience of the authors and case descriptions making it an invaluable guide to treatment.




Autism


Book Description

This volume aims to provide the reader with an up-to-date account of knowledge, research, education, and clinical practice in the field of au tism, from an international perspective. The emphasis throughout is on the growing points of knowledge and on the new developments in prac tice. We have tried to keep a balance between the need for rigorous research and systematic evaluation and the importance of expressing new ideas and concepts so that they may influence thinking at a stage when questions are being formulated and fresh approaches to treatment are being developed. The book had its origins in the 1976 International Symposium on Autism held in St. Gallen, Switzerland but it is not in any sense a proceed ings of that meeting. Most papers have been extensively rewritten to provide a fuller coverage of the topic and also to take account of the issues raised at the meeting. Discussion dialogues have been revised and re structured to stand as self-contained chapters. Many significant contribu tions to the conference have not been induded in order to maintain the balance of a definitive review; however a few extra chapters have been added to fill crucial gaps 0 We hope the result is a vivid picture ofthe current state of the art. As editors we have been most impressed by the advances since the 1970 international conference in London.




Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement


Book Description

This open access book marks the first historical overview of the autism rights branch of the neurodiversity movement, describing the activities and rationales of key leaders in their own words since it organized into a unique community in 1992. Sandwiched by editorial chapters that include critical analysis, the book contains 19 chapters by 21 authors about the forming of the autistic community and neurodiversity movement, progress in their influence on the broader autism community and field, and their possible threshold of the advocacy establishment. The actions covered are legendary in the autistic community, including manifestos such as “Don’t Mourn for Us”, mailing lists, websites or webpages, conferences, issue campaigns, academic project and journal, a book, and advisory roles. These actions have shifted the landscape toward viewing autism in social terms of human rights and identity to accept, rather than as a medical collection of deficits and symptoms to cure.




Catatonia


Book Description

Teaches the reader how to identify and treat catatonia successfully, and describes its neurobiology.




The Madness of Fear


Book Description

What are the real disease entities in psychiatry? This is a question that has bedeviled the study of the mind for more than a century yet it is low on the research agenda of psychiatry. Basic science issues such as neuroimaging, neurochemistry, and genetics carry the day instead. There is nothing wrong with basic science research, but before studying the role of brain circuits or cerebral chemistry, shouldn't we be able to specify how the various diseases present clinically? Catatonia is a human behavioral syndrome that for almost a century was buried in the poorly designated psychiatric concept of schizophrenia. Its symptoms are well-know, and some of them are serious. Catatonic patients may die as their temperatures accelerate; they become dehydrated because they refuse to drink; they risk inanition because they refuse to eat or move. Autistic children with catatonia may hit themselves repeatedly in the head. We don't really know what catatonia is, in the sense that we know what pneumonia is. But we can identify it, and it is eminently treatable. Clinicians can make these patients better on a reliable basis. There are few other disease entities in psychiatry of which this is true. So why has there been so little psychiatric interest in catatonia? Why is it simply not on the radar of most clinicians? Catatonia actually occurs in a number of other medical illnesses as well, but it is certainly not on the radar of most internists or emergency physicians. In The Madness of Fear, Drs. Shorter and Fink seek to understand why this "vast field of ignorance" exists. In the history of catatonia, they see a remarkable story about how medicine flounders, and then seems to find its way. And it may help doctors, and the public, to recognize catatonia as one of the core illnesses in psychiatry.







Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adults


Book Description

In this book a group of international experts guide the reader through the clinical features of adults with autism spectrum disorders, describe the care needs of patients and their families, explain the evolution of the disorders into old age, and highlight what can be done to help. Detailed attention is paid to the medical and psychiatric problems of adults with these disorders and the approach to their education and professional integration. In addition, expert neuroscientists summarize current views on the neurobiology of autism. Autism spectrum disorders are devastating neurodevelopmental disorders. Although diagnosis and therapeutic interventions usually take place in infancy, they are chronic lifelong conditions. Surprisingly, the literature on autism spectrum disorders in adults is scarce. Moreover, most mental health professionals working with adults have little training in autism, and adult mental health services around the world are rarely prepared to address the needs of these patients, which tend to increase with age. This book therefore fills a crucial gap in the literature and will prove useful for all who care for and deal with adults in the Autistic Spectrum.




Practical Ethics for Effective Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder


Book Description

Practical Ethics for Effective Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Second Edition is for behavior analysts working directly with, or supervising those who work with, individuals with autism. The book addresses the principles and values that underlie the Behavior Analyst Certification Board's® Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts and factors that affect ethical decision-making. In addition, the book addresses critical and under-discussed topics, including scope of competence, evidence-based practice in behavior analysis, how to collaborate with professionals within and outside one's discipline, and how to design systems of ethical supervision and training customized to unique treatment settings. Across many of the topics, the authors also discuss errors students and professionals may make during analyses of ethical dilemmas and misapplications of ethical codes within their practice. New to this revision are chapters on Quality Control in ABA Service Delivery, Ethical Issues in ABA Business Management and Standardizing Decision-making in ABA Service Delivery. - Reviews new BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysis - Discusses factors that affect ethical decision-making - Describes how to create systems for teaching and maintaining ethical behavior - Discusses how to identify your own scope of competence in autism treatment - Examines the process of evidence-based practice and how it can be applied to behavior-analytic treatment for autism - Addresses the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and how to be a good collaborator - Reviews common mistakes that students and supervisors make when analyzing ethical dilemmas, along with common misapplications of ethical codes - Includes new chapters on standardized decision-making and quality control in ABA service delivery




Autism Spectrum Disorders


Book Description

Autism spectrum disorders are developmental disorders. Individuals with autism spectrum disorders develop differently. These differences are usually present in social interaction, communication, and sensory processing, and become visible through a wide variety of behavioral responses that differ from individuals without autism spectrum disorders. Despite significant research efforts, the exact causes of autism spectrum disorders remain poorly understood; however, researchers have gained extensive insights into possible pathomechanisms, even at the molecular level of cells. Many diagnostic criteria have been developed, adapted, and improved. The eight chapters in this book highlight the current state-of-the-art in many areas of autism spectrum disorders. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the epidemiology of autism spectrum disorders and the current knowledge of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms. Chapter 2 summarizes the diagnostic criteria and procedures and highlights present and upcoming therapeutic strategies. Chapter 3 reviews the adverse events and trauma in people with autism spectrum disorders. Chapters 4 and 5 focus on atypical sensory processing, and Chapter 6 discusses the genetic overlap of autism spectrum disorders with other neuropsychiatric disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, and schizophrenia. Chapter 7 focuses on the contribution of abnormalities in mitochondria, and chapter 8 discusses gut-brain interactions and a potential role for microbiota in autism spectrum disorders. This book is aimed primarily at clinicians and scientists, but many areas will also be of interest to the layperson.