Continuing and expanding upon the themes from his previous works (Autistic Symphony, Autistic Songs, Concerto for Intelligence, and Autistic Rhapsody), Griswold’s Autistic Études presents a series of essays in the form of scholarly articles, outlining unique and thought-provoking insights into the subjects of human intelligence, autism, and human behavioral modernity.
This book contains observations derived from a four year study of an autistic child, illustrating through observation and the expressive channels of art the symptoms and signs of psychopathology. The goal is to better understand the biosocial nature of autism and through the use of figure drawings, explicate the autistic process. The discussion is unique in that it places an ideographic case history in an incisive theoretical setting. In so doing it breaks new ground, inviting further work along the same lines from other scientists in the field. Contents: Infantile Autism; Case Study of a Young Child; Affect and Autism; Overall Reflections; and Case Studies of Two Adolescents. Includes 54 illustrations
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.
People with autism are being left behind today, with only 16 per cent in full-time employment. This inspiring book addresses the lack of understanding of the wonderful contributions people across the autism spectrum can make to the workplace, drawing attention to this vast untapped human resource. Employers who create supportive workplaces can enhance their companies by making use of the talents of people with autism while also helping to produce a more inclusive and tolerant society, and people with autism can themselves benefit materially and emotionally from improved employment opportunities. Packed with real-life case studies examining the day-to-day working lives of people across the autism spectrum in a wide variety of careers, this book provides constructive solutions for both employers seeking to improve their workplaces and for individuals with autism considering their employment options. It dispels popular myths about autism, such as that everyone is good at IT, and crucially tackles the potential job opportunities available across the spectrum, including for those who have no language at all. It also highlights the neglected area of gender differences in the workplace and the costs of autistic females’ ability to 'camouflage' their condition. This book is a must-read for parents, employers and adults with autism, and for anyone interested in the present and future of people with autism in the workplace who will benefit from the positive message that employing autistic people is not an act of charity but one that makes sound economic sense.
This eBook explores within-discipline implications and and across-discipline connections of the Ben Shalom (2009) model. The 12 papers hail from psychology, neuroscience, psychiatry, philosophy, and biology.
Our understanding of the biological bases to the autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) is advancing rapidly. Over 80 genetic conditions have now been reported in people who have also been diagnosed with ASDs. Many of these conditions have specific implications for the presenting phenotype and for treatment, management, and intervention. If the basis to the presenting behavioural phenotype is not identified, this can result in a sub-optimal level of care, complications, or even permanent damage. Kenneth J. Aitken shows that the notion of a single condition known as 'autism' is no longer tenable, and challenges current trends in the diagnosis and management of these behaviours as a homogenous group by drawing on recent research into brain function, genetics, epidemiology and neurology. This volume explains the biology and genetics of ASD, and provides clinicians and researchers with a comprehensive summary of each genetic factor including the research that links it to ASD, diagnosis and treatment issues, and related animal models, as well as detailing relevant professional organisations and avenues for further research. An A-Z of Genetic Factors in Autism is an essential resource for a wide range of researchers, clinical professionals and students interested in autism spectrum disorders, including clinical and educational psychologists, dieticians, psychiatrists, and neurologists.
Drawing together an international range of psychoanalytic practitioners, this collection provides a critique of mainstream models of autism, looking at the conceptual and ideological underpinnings of the behavioural and cognitive approaches popular today. The first book to provide a psychoanalytic unpacking of standard non-analytic approaches, it offers a series of critical essays on mainstream assumptions, examining their history, foundations, and validity from a variety of angles. The authors consider, from the Lacanian perspective, the hypothesis of the biological-genetic causality of autism, as well as the claims of these approaches to offer effective therapy. These discussions are historically contextualised by an introduction and afterword that also provide pointers and references to further reading on Lacanian approaches to autism. Illustrated throughout by clinical examples, Treating Autism Today will be of interest to Lacanian clinicians and scholars, as well as psychotherapists, psychologists, and those working with children diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum.
Based on rich clinical experience and on theory from numerous psychoanalytical works, this book explores and analyzes the emergence and development of the psychic life. Birth to Psychic Life explores the genesis of the psychic apparatus, reconstructs the development of subjectivity, with its ups and downs in babies as in all subjects, and studies the relationship between mental states at the dawn of psychic life and those characteristic of psychopathology. The book refers to Freudian, Kleinian and post-Kleinian works, proposing articulations between the different theoretical models. The referenced works’ contributions to the understanding of early psychic disorders, as well as to the implications of infantile psychic suffering in adulthood, are essential. The authors identify the three psychic constellations, recognized by many, that accompany the psychic birth and suggest new more adequate names in view of current works on subjectivity: the auto-sensual position, the symbiotic position and the depressive position. Many other new and original proposals are developed by the authors. Providing tools to think about the processes of psychic growth, this book will be of interest to all psychoanalysts and psychotherapists working with infants and interested in the impact of early psychic development throughout life.
