The Autisms

Mary Coleman is a pediatric neurologist specializing in neurodevelopmental disorders. She has published over 100 papers and nine medical books, five of which are on autism. She was educated at the University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins University and George Washington University with neurology training at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and Children's Hospital in D.C. Christopher Gillberg is Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. He is one of the leading neuropsychiatrists in the world and has published over 500 papers and 25 books. He is an active researcher and clinician in the field of autism as well as in the fields of other childhood onset neurodevelopmental disorders, including ADHD, tic disorders, learning disability, epilepsy and eating disorders.

• Part One - The Autisms as a Spectrum ; 1. Diagnosis of the autisms in infancy ; 2. The clinical course of autism in childhood and adolescence ; 3. Adults with autism ; 4. Asperger syndrome ; 5. Comorbidities and symptom complexes ; 6. Epidemiology: is autism increasing? ; 7. Timing: When do diseases with autistic features begin? ; 8. Neuroanatomy: which parts of the brain are involved? ; 9. Neuropsychology and cognitive psychology in the autisms ; 10. Autism and epilepsy ; 11. Biochemistry, immunology, endocrinology ; Part Two - The Autisms as a Syndrome ; 12. Clinical subgroups ; 13. Neurogenomics: Genes ; 14. Neurogenomics: Chromosomes ; 15. Neurogenomics: Mitochondrial disorders, environment, epigenetics ; Part Three - Treatment and Support in the Autisms ; 16. Educational and behavioral interventions throughout the life span in autism ; 17. Prevention, reversal autism, and medical therapies ; 18. Conclusion ; Appendix One - Recommended psychiatric/psychological workup in autism. ; Appendix Two - Updated neurological workup for children with autistic features ; Glossary ; Index

The Autisms by Drs. Coleman and Gillberg is a veritable tour de force with encyclopedic coverage of what is known, suspected, and responsibly postulated about autism. The writing is clear, concise, and comprehensive. There are masterful discussions covering major topics of interest. The consistency offered by two major authors as opposed to many contributors of individual chapters is a breath of fresh air and this book is accessible and useful for a wide range of professionals as well as families dealing with this important group of disorders.