Product Description

Edward R. Ritvo MD is an internationally recognized medical expert, researcher and pioneer in the field of autism and Asperger's disorder, and co-author of the official diagnostic criteria in the DSM ("Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders"). Much of what is known about these disorders today is based on his painstaking research and groundbreaking discoveries. In this book, he shares his forty years' experience and opens his extensive UCLA casebook to the reader. "Understanding the Nature of Autism and Asperger's Disorder" is 'a consultation with Prof. Ritvo' - a thoroughly accessible introduction for professionals, families, spouses and individuals with autism and Asperger's Disorder. Prof. Ritvo traces the historical development of understanding about autism and Asperger's Disorder, from the centuries of misdiagnoses and the first recognition of the characteristics of the disorders to his own highly-regarded methods for making a diagnosis. Drawing on case histories from forty years' of clinical practice, he explains their basic nature, what the causes are, what is different in the brain, treatments that work (and those that don't), what a child with a diagnosis might be like when he or she grows up, and what future research may hold. This book will be an absolute must-read for anyone with an interest in autism and Asperger's Disorder, whether a practitioner, a parent, a student, or an affected individual.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #695547 in Books
• Published on: 2005-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 174 pages

About the Author
Edward R. Ritvo is Professor Emeritus at the UCLA School of Medicine in California, USA. He began his 'quest for understanding' of autism and Asperger's disorder in 1963, and has been on the research trail ever since.

Customer Reviews

I Finally Got It!
I think I found the gist of the book at last, although nothing came to my mind just after reading all through. Dr. Ritvo set an inspiring example of mild/high functioning autism(M/HFA) i.e., the famous movie, Rain Man, which really cracked me up! Raymond with M/HFA stopped in the middle of the intersection when he saw the sign, "DON'T WALK". The point is he took the sign literally, but didn't understand the meaning. Of course, for typical people, this WAS a real disaster which caused road rage. I have seen Rain Man once, but I felt as if it had nothing to do with me. However, I realized people with developmental impairments are likely to make the similar mistakes after being diagnosed with ADHD and Asperger syndrome(AS). In other words, I'd say people with developmental challenges often find it difficult to catch social languages and cues like Raymond.

I know Rain Man is quite an extreme example of M/HFA. To be quite honest, I got pretty upset first time I found the sentence, "Congratulations you have Asperger's syndrome" in Prof. Tony Attwood's book, An Complete Guide to AS. As it turned out, I just jumped the gun. I thought, "You call this Congratulations!? Get out of here, this disorder will last forever and I have to deal with my AS for the rest of my life!" On second thought, I recognized Prof. Attwood implied people with AS have different brain wiring and way of thinking, which nobody else could have. They aren't had, defective, and crazy at all. Jumping the gun like this can slow a reciprocal communication to work smoothly , that's for sure!

I'm not sure about the details of this book, but I'm going to reread it to deepen my understanding!