Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Fred R. Volkmar M.D., is the Irving B. Harris Professor Emeritus of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Psychology at the Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine and the Dorothy Goodwin Family Chair of Special Education at Southern Connecticut State University. An international authority on Asperger’s disorder and autism, Dr. Volkmar was the primary author of the DSM-IV autism and pervasive developmental disorders section. He has authored several hundred scientific papers and has co-edited numerous books, including a book written specifically for parents – A Practical Guide to Autism - now in its 2nd edition as well as forthcoming books on evidence based treatments and a new edition of the Handbook of Autism. He has served as associate editor of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and the American Journal of Psychiatry. He also served as co-chairperson of the autism/MR committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. From 2007 to 2023, he was editor of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and, more recently, of the Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Although now emeritus at Yale, Dr. Volkmar remains active as the Director of the Autism Center of Excellence at Southern Connecticut State University. Brian Reichow, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is Associate Director of the University of Connecticut Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service and an Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences at UConn Health. His current research interests include the translation of research to practice, the use of systematic review methods and meta-analytic methods to identify evidence-based practices, and applied research involving young children with or at risk of developing disabilities and their families. He has been a technical advisor for the World Health Organizationfor over a decade assisting WHO with the development of practice guidelines and training materials to increase the identification, management, and treatment of children with developmental disabilities in lower- and middle-income countries. Dr. Reichow is currently Co-Editor in Chief of the Journal of Early Intervention Co-Editor of the Disability Coordinating Group of the Campbell Collaboration and Campbell Systematic Reviews. He is also an associate editor for Topics in Early Childhood Special Education and the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and serves on numerous other editorial boards related to neurodevelopmental disabilities and research methods. Dr. Reichow is widely published, with over 100 scholarly works, including two books, Evidence-based Practices and Treatments for Children with Autism and the Handbook of Early Childhood Special Education, both also published by Springer.James C. McPartland, Ph.D. is the HarrisProfessor of Child Psychiatry and Psychology at the Yale Child Study Center. He is a practicing licensed child psychologist and Director of the Yale Developmental Disabilities Clinic. Dr. McPartland is a Director of the Yale Center for Brain and Mind Health, Co-Director of Team Science at the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation, and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the Child Study Center. Dr. McPartland’s program of research investigates the brain bases of neurodevelopmental conditions to develop biologically-based tools to improve detection, treatment, and, ultimately, the quality of life for autistic people and their families. His contributions to the field have been recognized by numerous awards, including  the NARSAD Atherton Young Investigator Award, the International Society for Autism Research Young Investigator Award, the Patterson Trust Clinical Research Award, the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Klerman Prize, and the APA Sara S. Sparrow Early Career Research Award, and he has been named a Fellow by two divisions of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science. Dr. McPartland is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, the Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, the Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, and the Encyclopaedia of Autism and Related Disorders. He is active in public scientific communication, with his clinical and research activities featured in media, such as the A&E series, The Employables, and news outlets, such as the New York Times. He has served on the executive boards of the International Society for Autism Research and the APA Division of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities/Autism Spectrum Disorder and currently chairs the Scientific Advisory Board of the Autism Science Foundation.

• Chapter 1. Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adolescents and Adults – An Introduction.- Part 1: Clinical and Research Perspectives.- Chapter 2. Families Of Autistic Adults.- Chapter 3. Transitioning from High School to Adulthood:Optimizing Outcomes for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.- Chapter 4. Social Skills Training for Autistic Adolescents and Adults.- Chapter 5. Romantic Relationships, Sexuality, and Autism.- Chapter 6. Adult services and employment for adults with autism: Options, challenges, and hope.- Chapter 7. Supporting Autistic Students in College.- Chapter 8. Optimizing Self-Sufficiency and Independence through Adaptive Behavior.- Chapter 9. Pharmacotherapy of Behavioral Symptoms and Psychiatric Comorbidities in Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders.- Chapter 10. Residential Options and Treatment for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum.- Chapter 11. Range of Adult Outcomes.- Chapter 12. Medical Care and Common Medical Comorbidities in ASD.- Chapter 13. Mental Health Issues in Adolescents and Adults with ASD.- Chapter 14. Autism Spectrum Disorder and Unlawful Behavior.- Chapter 15. Assessment and Treatment Planning in Autistic Adults.- Chapter 16. The Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adulthood.- Chapter 17. Psychotherapeutic Approaches for Autistic Adolescents and Adults.- Part 2: Personal Perspectives.- Chapter 18. A  Parent’s Perspective.- Chapter 19. Severe Autism from a Parent’s Perspective, Told in Clichés.- Chapter 20. A Middle Aged Man Looks at a Childhood Diagnosis: A New First Person Account of Autism.- Chapter 21. A personal perspective.- Chapter 22. An Adult Sibling’s Perspective on Autism.

“The authors carefully explore support services, clinical practices, and care recommendations; discuss evidence-based social skills interventions for adolescents and adults; and review pharmacotherapeutic treatments for psychiatric comorbid conditions. … This book is a wonderful resource; I have already recommended it to a handful of peers and trainees in neuropsychiatry, which is perhaps the best I can offer as final words in a review of a textbook.” (Aaron J. Hauptman, M.D., The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, May 5, 2025)