Books and Articles — Autism Spectrum Disorders/Asperger's Syndrome

Asperger's History of Overdiagnosis, by Paul Steinberg. New York Times, January 31, 2012.  “Considered to be at the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum, Asperger syndrome has become more loosely defined in the past 20 years, by both the mental health profession and by lay people, and in many instances is now synonymous with social and interpersonal disabilities.”

New Definition of Autism May Exclude Many, Study Suggests, by Benedict Carey. New York Times, January 19, 2012.  “Proposed changes in the definition of autism would sharply reduce the skyrocketing rate at which the disorder is diagnosed and may make it harder for many people who would no longer meet the criteria to get health, educational and social services, a new analysis suggests.”

Girls on the Spectrum: Q&A with the Author of Aspergirls, by Maia Szalavitz. Time Magazine, December 27, 2011.  “Is Asperger syndrome really less common in girls and women, or are females just better than males at masking autistic symptoms?”

Autism researchers make exciting strides, by Michigane State University. December 12, 2011.  “Teaching young children with autism to imitate others may improve a broader range of social skills, according to a new study by a Michigan State University scholar.”

Children with Autism Benefit from Early, Intensive Therapy, by Emily Martin. University of Missouri, September 28, 2011.  “A primary characteristic of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is impairments in social-communication skills. Children and adolescents with social-communication problems face difficulty understanding, interacting and relating with others. University of Missouri researchers found that children who receive more intensive therapy to combat these impairments, especially at early ages, achieve the best outcomes.”

'Environmental' Poses a Knotty Challenge in Autism, by Perri Klass. New York Times, August 08, 2011.  “Parents of children with autism often ask pediatricians like me about the cause of the condition, and parents-to-be often ask what they can do to reduce the risk. But although there is more research in this area than ever before, it sometimes feels as if it's getting harder, not easier, to provide answers that do justice to the evidence and also offer practical guidance.”

Weak Synchronization in Toddler Brains May Be a Biological Marker for Autism, by Weizmann Institute of Science. Weizmann Institute of Science, July 24, 2011.  “Scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California, San Diego have found, for the first time, a method that can accurately identify a biological sign of autism in very young toddlers. By scanning the brain activity of sleeping children, the scientists discovered that the autistic brains exhibited significantly weaker synchronization between brain areas tied to language and communication, compared to that of non-autistic children.”

Study: Siblings of Autistic Kids Show Similar Brain Activity, by Alice Park. Time Magazine, July 13, 2011.  “In a study published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, scientists at the University of Cambridge report that even the unaffected siblings of autistic children show signs of brain differences that set them apart from children in non-autistic families.”

Support Program Helps Caregivers of Mentally Ill Cope, by Traci Pedersen. Psych Central, June 28, 2011.  “Caring for a family member with mental illness can take its toll, but a widely available education and support program for relatives of the mentally ill called Family-to-Family (FTF) can significantly improve a family's coping ability.”

Detecting Autism Early With a 5-Minute Questionnaire, by Alice Park. Time Magazine, April 28, 2011.  “It's generally better to detect a disease sooner rather than later, but with some slowly progressing conditions, it's not always possible to pick out the first signs of trouble.”

Journal: Study Linking Vaccine to Autism Was Fraud, by Associated Press. Time Magazine, January 06, 2011.  “The first study to link a childhood vaccine to autism was based on doctored information about the children involved, according to a new report on the widely discredited research.”

At the Age of Peekaboo, in Therapy to Fight Autism, by April Dembosky. New York Times, November 01, 2010.  “Scientists across North America to look for signs of autism as early as 6 months so as to start treatment sooner. The treatment is based on a daily therapy, the Early Start Denver Model, that is based on games and pretend play”

Siblings of kids with autism have language delays, by Elizabeth Landau. CNN, October 08, 2010.  “In families in which a child has autism, his or her siblings are more likely to have language delays or speech problems, a new study finds.”

New Gene Clues to Autism Prevalence in Males, by Selena Chavis. Psych Central, September 17, 2010.  “Research conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) revealed that specific alterations of DNA on the sole X chromosome carried by males contributes to a greater risk for the development of ASD.”

Child's Ordeal Shows Risks of Psychosis Drugs for Young, by Duff Wilson. New York Times, September 01, 2010.  “More than 500,000 children and adolescents in America are now taking antipsychotic drugs, according to a September 2009 report by the Food and Drug Administration. Their use is growing not only among older teenagers, when schizophrenia is believed to emerge, but also among tens of thousands of preschoolers.”

Massachusetts Becomes the 23rd State to Enact Autism Insurance Reform, by Autism Votes. Autism Speaks, August 04, 2010.

Researchers Discover Genetic Patterns of Autism, by Alice Park. Time Magazine, June 09, 2010.  “An international group of researchers reports the discovery of a set of rare genetic variations that may increase susceptibility to autism spectrum disorders.”

Tools to Reduce Stigma of Mental Illness, by Rick Nauert. Psych Central, May 14, 2010.  “Researchers have announced a new intervention that can improve the quality of life and self-esteem among persons with serious mental illness.”

Teen with autism advises other 'different' kids, by Elizabeth Landau. CNN, April 02, 2010.  “Figuring out what's cool. Struggling for acceptance. Dealing with homework. These are familiar perils of middle school. But Haley Moss did it all while dealing with a hidden challenge: autism.”

The Autism Debate: Who's Afraid of Jenny McCarthy?, by Karl Taro Greenfeld. Time Magazine, February 25, 2010.  “If vaccines don't cause autism; they don't injure children; they are the pillar of modern public health - then why are so many parents reconsidering vaccinating their children?”

Both Parents' Ages Linked to Autism Risk, by Roni Caryn Rabin. New York Times, February 08, 2010.  “Researchers are reporting thalder mothers are more likely than younger ones to have a child with autism, and older fathers significantly contribute to the risk of the disorder when their partners are under 30.”

New Rules Promise Better Mental Health Coverage, by Robert Pear. New York Times, January 29, 2010.  “The Obama administration issued new rules that promise to improve insurance coverage of mental health care for more than 140 million people insured through their jobs. Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, said the new rules guard against “needless or arbitrary limits.” In general, under the rules, employers and group health plans cannot provide less coverage for mental health care than for the treatment of physical conditions like cancer and heart disease.”

Dealing With the Financial Burden of Autism, by Walecia Konrad. New York Times, January 22, 2010.  “Medical costs for an autistic child can run as much as $72,000 a year and insurance does not cover many treatments.”

Poor Children Likelier to Get Antipsychotics, by Duff Wilson. New York Times, December 11, 2009.  “Some children from poor families may be receiving powerful drugs because it is deemed a cheaper way to treat a problem.”

Working Intensely Early on May Help Autistic Kids, by Amanda Gardner. US News & World Report, November 30, 2009.

Research: Autism may not be lifelong, by Nan Shnitzler. New England Psychologist, July 24, 2009.

Strengthening the safety net for autism in adulthood, by Stephen Smith. Boston Globe, April 01, 2009.

Reaching an Autistic Teenager, by Melissa Fay Green. The New York Times Magazine, October 19, 2008.  “A school in Georgia believes that it's not too late for boys like Sam Gross to make emotional connections. All you need is a lot of energy and, sometimes, a magic box.”

Autism Q & A, by Patty Morin Fitzgerald. Boston Globe, April 23, 2008.  “Could your child have autism? If you are concerned, author Jayne Lytel urges you to take steps. Time is of the essence.”

Identification and Evaluation of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, by Chris Plauche Johnson and Scott Myers, et al. Pediatrics, November 01, 2007.  “This clinical report is 1 of 2 documents that replace the original American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement and technical report published in 2001. This report addresses background information, including definition, history, epidemiology, diagnostic criteria, early signs, neuropathologic aspects, and etiologic possibilities in autism spectrum disorders. In addition, this report provides an algorithm to help the pediatrician develop a strategy for early identification of children with autism spectrum disorders.”