Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorder Evidence-Based Assessment And Intervention [Paperback]

Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorders part of the Child Clinical Psychology collection, will provide a critical summary of the developments in diagnosing and treating autistic spectrum disorders, including a historical review of both the concept of autism as a diagnostic entity, and the lineage of the current best practice methodologies. There have been a few fairly recent and extensive reviews of the literature on educational interventions for autism (Luisselli, et al, 2008; National Research Council, 2001; New York State DOE, 1999), however, due to the rapid growth in the research literature, an updated review is already needed. There is also a need for a comprehensive review that integrates diverse bodies of literature. For instance, there has continued to be a divergence between the clinical literature on education and interventions, and the basic research on the nature and causes of autistic conditions (Yeung-Courchesne & Courchesne). In order to both implement current best practices, as well as to adapt or modify these methods for a range of student needs, clinicians and educators must have a thorough and up-to-date understanding of the nature of the underlying difficulties; that is, how autism spectrum disorder affects learning and development across the lifespan, and across a range of levels of functioning. The proposed book will provide a brief but comprehensive view of the nature of the problem posed by autism spectrum disorder, followed by a framework for the educational and behavioral assessment of autistic pathology, and finally, a review of effective strategies (linked to the assessment results) to address the impact of autism on learning with thorough progress monitoring.