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Reflecting tremendous gains over the past decade in our understanding of the causes of autism, Clinical Manual for the Treatment of Autism meets the increasing need for clear, up-to-date, and evidence-based treatment. Internationally known researchers—who are also skilled in treating patients with autism—share treatment approaches they have either developed or thoroughly tested for safety and efficacy.
The book describes in a straightforward manner how to
diagnose autism, recognizing that patients may vary greatly in intelligence,
language ability, disruptive behavior, and presence of comorbid disorders.
It outlines the appropriate instruments to use for particular patients,
providing examples and guidelines for evaluation and testing of individuals
of all ages and levels of functioning, with a focus on initial diagnostic
evaluation. It also evaluates the appropriate role of various medications
for specific target symptoms and individuals: SSRIs and antidepressants,
focusing on the rationale for their use and clinical trials in autism;
anticonvulsants and mood stabilizers used to treat disruptive behaviors and
mood instability; conventional and atypical antipsychotics, emphasizing
studies using random assignment to active and control treatments;
cholinesterase inhibitors, focusing on cholinergic mechanisms and treatment
experience in autism; and stimulants and nonstimulants for the treatment of
pervasive developmental disorder accompanied by hyperactivity,
distractibility, and impulsiveness. In addition to pharmacological
approaches, the book presents psychosocial treatments and includes
well-accepted psychoeducational models for which there is sufficient
evidence to recommend their use. In these chapters, the book:
• Covers
the use of applied behavior analysis, the DIR/Floortime approach, and peer
relationship interventions.
• Presents educational approaches, based on
the experience of the TEACCH program in North Carolina, describing how its
fundamental principles are utilized across the age spectrum.
• Describes
complementary and alternative treatments—such as therapies targeting
gastrointestinal function or the immune system or the use of nutritional
supplements—with an eye toward helping parents make informed choices.
•
Explores promising new avenues of treatment to address issues related to
cognition and social and language deficits, focusing particularly on the
potential of medications that target the glutamate and oxytocin brain
systems.
Clinical Manual for the Treatment of Autism is an essential resource for a broad range of professionals, including psychiatrists, pediatricians, neurologists, psychologists, educators, and behavioral, speech, and occupational therapists. It is a state-of-the-art compendium of treatments that will help advance the care that people with autism receive.
This clinical manual provides a comprehensive discussion of diagnostic issues and treatment options for autism. The many well organized tables also make it a good reference work. Chapters are written clearly and concisely, making the information very accessible to a wife range of mental health clinicians and other medical professionals.
I highly recommend this book for both clinicians and researchers, particularly for the treatment chapters regarding psychopharmacological, complementary and alternative medicine, and behavioral interventions. In a field fraught with controversy, this book adds clarity in a compact and well-written format. This should be read by all who take care of children with autism.
I highly recommended this book to psychiatrics who see patients with autistic spectrum disorder in their practice and who are in need of straightforward, evidence-based guidelines for evaluation, testing, and treatment. This book is particularly suited for use by physician, as its strength is clearly in the guidance it provides regarding psychopharmacology. Its description of psycho educational approaches is helpful in that it familiarizes the reader with the theory, delivery, and evidence behind them.
Eric Hollander, M.D., is Esther and Joseph Klingenstein Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, and Director of the Seaver and New York Autism Center of Excellence, at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
Evdokia Anagnostou, M.D., is Child Neurologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, and Clinical Director of the Seaver and New York Autism Center of Excellence, at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
Contributors
Foreword
Chapter 1. Clinical Diagnosis
of Autism
Chapter 2. Evaluation and Testing for Autism
Chapter 3.
Treatment of Autism With Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Other
Antidepressants
Chapter 4. Treatment of Autism With Anticonvulsants and
Mood Stabilizers
Chapter 5. Treatment of Autism With
Antipsychotics
Chapter 6. Cholinesterase Inhibitor Therapy in Patients
With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Chapter 7. Stimulants and Nonstimulants
in the Treatment of Hyperactivity in Autism
Chapter 8. Applied Behavior
Analysis in the Treatment of Autism
Chapter 9. The Developmental
Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based (DIR/Floortime) Model Approach to
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Chapter 10. Educational Approaches for
Autism—TEACCH
Chapter 11. Peer Relationships of Children With Autism:
Challenges and Interventions
Chapter 12. Complementary and Alternative
Therapies for Autism
Chapter 13. Promising New Avenues of Treatment and
Future Directions for Patients With Autism
Index