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A provocative book that comprehensively reviews research on autism and suggests the evidence points toward "autism" being several disorders rather than one, and the implications thereof for finding a cure

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1: Autism Heterogeneity

Chapter 2 Autism Symptom Heterogeneity Exists in Family Members

Chapter 3 The Social Brain is a Complex Super-Network

Chapter 4 Genetic Risk Factors Link Autism to Many Other Disorders

Chapter 5 Environmental Risk Factors Link Autism to Many Other Outcomes

Chapter 6 Savant Skills, Superior Skills, and Intelligence Vary Widely in Autism

Chapter 7 Increasing Prevalence and the Problem of Diagnosis

Chapter 8 Autism Symptoms Exist but the Disorder Remains Elusive

About the Author

Dr. Lynn Waterhouse was the Director of Child Behavior Study at The College of New Jersey for 31 years, and is currently a Professor in Global Graduate Programs at the College. NIMH, NICHD, and private funding agencies supported her autism research. She worked with Dr. Lorna Wing on the APA DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria for autism.

Reviews

"A seminal book forcing a much-needed change in the way in which we think about autism. Impressively well-researched and well-argued. A 'must-read' for all autism researchers." --Prof. Jill Boucher, City University, London, UK "This book by Lynn Waterhouse will ruffle some feathers, with its bold conclusion that "there is clear detriment to maintaining the diagnostic category of autism spectrum disorder." However, the evidence she presents is compelling. In every domain she investigates - symptoms, neurobiology, etiology, correlates - she finds that there is considerable heterogeneity in autism. As well as striking differences among children with an ASD diagnosis, there is also a lack of specificity in symptoms and causes. For instance, genetic variants and environmental risks that are associated with increased risk of autism are also associated with other neurodevelopmental disorders. Waterhouse is not denying that there are children with severe developmental difficulties involving social interaction, communication and stereotyped behaviours. Rather, she is questioning whether their needs are best served by grouping them all together under a single umbrella label. Her view is that research efforts directed at finding a unifying theory of autism are misguided, and that we should be focusing on symptoms rather than an abstract diagnostic category that can obfuscate rather than clarify our understanding." --Prof. Dorothy Bishop, University of Oxford, UK