A Guide to Asperger Syndrome

by Christopher Gillberg

Overview

Individuals affected with Asperger Syndrome are often misunderstood and sometimes misdiagnosed when they apply for help. A Guide to Asperger Syndrome is an accessible handbook for all those touched by Asperger syndrome, one of the most common variants of disorders in the so-called autism spectrum. Christopher Gillberg, a world-renowned authority in the field, gives an in-depth account of symptoms, diagnosis, prevalence, background factors, prognosis, and intervention. This book is intended for a wide readership, including those affected, their families, and clinicians working with children, adolescents and adults with Asperger syndrome.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521001830
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	07/25/2002
Pages:	190
Product dimensions:	6.85(w) x 9.72(h) x 0.47(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Definitions; 3. Prevalence; 4. Symptoms in childhood; 5. Symptoms in adolescence; 6. Associated psychiatric and social problems; 7. Other problems; 8. Strengths; 9. Background factors; 10. Cognitive neuropsychology; 11. Diagnosis and work-up; 12. Outcome in the longer term: adults with Asperger syndrome; 13. Attitudes, interventions and treatment; 14. Who can help?; 15. What about all those famous geniuses?; 16. Case vignettes; 17. Literature suggestions; Index.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Shiraz Butt, MD (Rush University Medical Center)
Description: This is an overview of one of the most common disorders in the autism spectrum. It covers a wide range of topics including the clinical presentation, diagnostic issues, epidemiology and treatment of Asperger syndrome.
Purpose: The purpose is to provide an update on the current advances in the field of autism spectrum disorders. The author has written for a wide audience with the aim of stimulating the development of a common knowledge base about Asperger syndrome in the community at large. This is indeed a worthy objective because the diagnosis of Asperger syndrome is still a controversial issue. The author, through his detailed explanation of the diagnostic issues, has done an excellent job at meeting these objectives.
Audience: The book is written for a large audience including individuals with Asperger syndrome, their parents, as well as clinicians working with children, adolescents and adults with developmental, social, and behavioral problems. The author is a world-renowned authority on this subject and he has authored numerous papers and books on Asperger syndrome and related disorders.
Features: The book begins by addressing the diagnostic issues including comparisons of the different diagnostic systems currently in use. The author then gives a detailed account of the syndrome through the life cycle of an individual, focusing on developmental issues and comorbid conditions. The author gives an overview of the current knowledge of the etiology including the neurological, neuropsychological and cognitive models. The case vignettes highlight the subtleties in the clinical presentation of Asperger syndrome. The appendixes list the structured instruments, which are very useful for clinical practitioners.
Assessment: There have been a number of books written on this subject in the last few years, which parallels the increase in the awareness of this disorder in the general and medical community. This book provides an easily readable and updated guide to those afflicted with Asperger syndrome as well as the professionals in the field.

Doody's Review Service

"[An] engaging book...Gillberg is refreshingly pragmatic and independent in his views. I recommend [this book] highly to paediatricians, child neurologists, and adult psychiatrists as well. It is an enjoyable read, not an encyclopaedia, and anyone who reads it is guaranteed to end up better educated and less confused about the puzzling, more mildly affected individuals of all ages on the autistic spectrum."
Isabelle Rapin, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

"There are very few clear and authoratative books on Asperger syndrome (AS), bu this new book by Christopher Gillberg is one of them."
Contemporary Psychology

"The author, a world-renowned authority in the field, gives an up-to-date, clear, and comprehensive description of AS...I highly recommend this book to all those involved in evaluating and managing developmental and personality disorders."
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry

"The book is factual, accurate, succinct though detailed, and notable for its clarity. It is to be recommended as an invaluable introduction to the field."
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

"Parents and professionals new to the world of Asperger syndrome will find the author to be an insightful and compassionate guide...The book can be recommended as a very useful introduction..."
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice

"I would recommend this book as an up-to-date, accessible guide for anyone who works or lives with Asperger syndrome. It succeeds in the main in covering all topics of relevance, and includes useful further reading and reference lists. Professionals in all fields across medicine and education, as well as lay-persons, would find it a useful addition to their resources."
Psychological Medicine

"...a valuable resource book to read and have on our shelves."
Social Work Now

"...a concise, easy to read book sufficiently human to be meaningful to people diagnosed with Asperger and sufficiently 'clinical' to appeal to the non-specialist doctor or psychologist."
Journal of Intellectual Disability Research

"This book provides an easily readable and updated guide to those afflicted with Asperger syndrome as well as the professionals in the field."
Doody's Book Review

"I have enjoyed this book immmensely, not only because the author's style is so intimate and supportive, but also because I believe he has accomplished so much more than the title suggests by opening a quite unexpected vista to the reader on the disorder and those affected by it."
Daniel Doiron, MD Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

"I highly recommend this book for its comprehensive coverage of important issues in AS coupled with an easy-to-read style of writing that will make it accessible to a broad readership, including individuals and parents who are seeking a more evidence-based detailed account of the disorder and clinicians who wish to gain greater understanding of the key features and issues with an eye to diagnostic controversies and thoughtful analysis of the associated conditions."
Jennifer Saltzman-Benaiah, Journal of Psychosomatic Research

From the Publisher

3 Stars from Doody