The Science and Fiction of Autism - Hardcover

Laura Schreibman

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0674019318 ISBN 13: 9780674019317

Publisher: Harvard University Press, 2005

Synopsis

Autism is a complex and incurable constellation of bizarre behaviors, impaired cognition, limited language, and most distressingly, a lack of responsiveness to other people, and it has been the center of impassioned debates for decades. What is it? What causes it? How can it be treated?

In The Science and Fiction of Autism, one of the country's leading experts in behavioral treatments approaches autism through the context of its controversies, showing where extraordinary and unfounded claims have falsely raised hopes, stirred fears, and ruined lives. Arguing that autism is an entirely biological disorder, however complex its neurological origins, Laura Schreibman lays waste to the beliefs that it is caused by "refrigerator mothers" or the MMR vaccine, as well as to the simplistic claims that it can be cured by a variety of unsubstantiated treatments.

Drawing from her own long clinical experience with autistic children and their parents, Schreibman arms her readers--students, educators, psychologists, and parents alike--with information and arguments to deal with the onslaught of good, bad, deficient, and irrelevant ideas about autism.

About this title

About the Author

Laura Schreibman is Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Director of the Autism Research Program at the University of California at San Diego.

Reviews

One of the tragedies of autism is that, as Schreibman writes, "[t]he field... is littered with the debris of dead ends, crushed hopes, ineffective treatments, and false starts." Drawing from her own extensive clinical experience, psychologist Schreibman, director of the Autism Research Program at UC–San Diego, provides a comprehensive account of this mysterious disorder within the context of the controversies and contentions of the field. Arguing that autism is entirely biological in origin, Schreibman systematically discounts past and present popular causal theories, such as "refrigerator mothers" and the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine. Although expertly guiding readers through a detailed analysis of characteristics, diagnosis and treatment, Schreibman never forgets to illuminate the human side of autism. The disturbing, and often tragic, impact of simplistic and unsubstantiated treatments, like facilitated communication, secretin and holding therapy, serve as evidence that "bad science can lead to as much mischief as no science." It reminds parents that, despite how far researchers have come, it will take years of research to fully understand the biology of autism. This book is strongly recommended for parents and professionals dealing with this debilitating illness. (Nov.)
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The field of autism is littered with the debris of dead ends, crushed hoes, ineffective treatments, and false starts. This has been frustrating and discouraging for everyone, including parents and professionals. . . . The field is susceptible to all sorts of false beliefs, snake-oil treatments, and potential 'cures' because we are dealing with a devastating disorder for which we have relatively few answers to date. Ignorance provides a vacuum that sucks in all kinds of ideas--some right, some irrelevant, some dead wrong, and some even harmful. . . . A voluminous stream of information about autism comes at us daily from magazine and newspaper articles, television, movies, and . . . the Internet. . . . One need not be a scientist in order to know how to evaluate information critically; one just needs to be appropriately critical. . . . Critical thinking empowers us to cut through all of the hype, dramatic claims, and wishful thinking. Sometimes the truth hurts (for example, finding out that a proposed cure is indeed bogus), but . . . the pursuit of fruitless avenues serves only to waste time, money, and emotional energy on theories that do not add up or cures that do not work. --From Chapter 1

Edition details

• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0674019318
• ISBN 13: 9780674019317
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 304