Autism (Biographies of Disease)

272 Pages·2008·1.11 MB·English

by  Lisa D. Benaron

AUTISM
RecentTitlesinthe
BiographiesofDiseaseSeries
Parkinson’sDisease
NutanSharma
Depression
BlaiseA.Aguirre,M.D.
Diabetes
AndrewGalmer
Stroke
JonathanA.Edlow
AUTISM
Lisa D. Benaron
BiographiesofDisease
JulieK.Silver,M.D.,SeriesEditor
GREENWOODPRESS
Westport,Connecticut x London
Libraryof Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Benaron, LisaDorothea.
Autism /LisaD.Benaron.
p. cm.—(Biographies of disease,ISSN 1940-445X)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-313-34763-4(alk. paper)
1. Autism—Popularworks.I.Title.
RC553.A88B457 2009
616.850882—dc22 2008028537
BritishLibrary Cataloguing inPublication Data isavailable.
Copyright (cid:1)C 2009byLisaD.Benaron
Allrights reserved. Noportionof thisbookmay be
reproduced, byany process ortechnique, withoutthe
express written consentofthe publisher.
Library ofCongress Catalog Card Number:2008028537
ISBN:978-0-313-34763-4
ISSN:1940-445X
First publishedin 2009
Greenwood Press,88Post RoadWest,Westport, CT06881
An imprintofGreenwood PublishingGroup, Inc.
www.greenwood.com
Printedin theUnited States ofAmerica
Thepaper usedinthis bookcomplies with the
Permanent Paper Standardissued bythe National
Information StandardsOrganization (Z39.48–1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First,I wanttoacknowledge theparentsand familymembers ofchildren
with autistic spectrumdisorders. Their lovefor their childrenpropels them
pastthevisible shock andgrief atthetime ofdiagnosisto becometheir
children’s teachers, advocates, androoting sections. Iam continuously moved
by thestrengthanddedication they showduring their journeys.
Ialso wanttoacknowledge Jake, my daughter’shalf-brother, who started
me onmy journey with autismfifteen years ago. Despite allthat Ihave
learned, itis stillheart wrenching torealize thatIwill neverfully understand
howJakeexperiences lifefromdeepwithinhiswordlessworldofautism.Iused
tohave dreamsinwhich he couldtalk sohecould tell meeverything I
yearned toknow. Nowthatdream is areality for theparentsofmany children
with autistic spectrum disorderswho are increasingly findingtheir voices
througheffective early intervention.
To my mother,DodiBenaron, Ioffer my profoundgratitude for
encouraging me tobeanindependent thinker andinstilling inme herlove
ofwords.
Finally,this bookisdedicated tomyeleven-year-old daughter,
Molly,who selflessly encouraged me duringthelonghours Ispent atmy
laptop. She hasawriter’s soul,and Ilook forward toreadingher stories and
poemsfor manyyears tocome.
Epigraphs
The greater theignorance, thegreater thedogmatism.
Sir WilliamOsler,Physician (1849–1919)
To be humane, we must ever be ready to pronounce that wise, inge-
nious,and modeststatement ‘‘Idonot know.’’
Galileo Galilei
If a man begins with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be
contenttobegin with doubts,heshall end incertainties.
Francis Bacon
Contents
SeriesForeword ix
Preface xi
Introduction xiii
Chapter1. Autism,AS,andtheEvolutionoftheConceptoftheASDs 1
Chapter2. ScreeningforASDs:Past,Present,andFuture 23
Chapter3. DiagnosticEvaluationforASDsPart1:GettingStarted 43
Chapter4. DiagnosticEvaluationforASDsPart2:AppropriateUse
oftheDSM-IV-TRCriteriaforAutisticSpectrumDisorders
andSupplementalTestsUsedintheDiagnosticProcess 67
Chapter5. WhatCanStatisticsTellUsaboutASDs? 101
Chapter6. WhatCausesAutism?Part1:BasicScience 115
Chapter7. WhatCausesAutism?Part2:ControversialTheories
andNewWaysofThinkingaboutASDs 141
viii Contents
Chapter8. ConventionalEarlyChildhoodandEducational
InterventionsforASDs 165
Chapter9. CAMApproachestoTreatment:‘‘Biomedical’’
Interventions 201
Chapter10. Outcome 209
Abbreviations 219
Timeline 223
Glossary 227
Bibliography 235
Index 239
Series Foreword
E very disease has a story to tell: about how it started long ago and began
to disable or even take the lives of its innocent victims, about the way
it hurts us, and about how we are trying to stop it. In this Biographies of
Disease series, the authors tell the stories of the diseases that we have come to
know anddread.
The stories of these diseases have all ofthe components that make for great
literature. There is incredible drama played out in real-life scenes from the
past, present, and future. You’ll read about how men and women of science
stumbled trying to save the lives of those they aimed to protect. Turn the
pages and you’ll also learn about the amazing success of those who fought for
healthandwon, oftensaving thousands oflives intheprocess.
If you don’t want to be a health professional or research scientist now,
when you finish this book you may think differently. The men and women in
this book are heroes who often risked their own lives to save or improve ours.
This is the biography of a disease, but it is also the story of real people who
madeincredible sacrificestostop it initstracks.
JulieK. Silver, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School
Department ofPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation