Perspectives on the Autism Spectrum Disorder:
Special Issue, Journal on Developmental Disabilities: Le journal sur les handicaps du développement. Volume 9, No. 2. 165 pp. edited by Maire Percy & Rita Eagle. 

Publication of a whole book or journal devoted to Autism is a very rare event in Canada. So this special issue is welcome. Its inspiration was the ECLIPSE conference at Surrey Place Centre in Toronto in January 2001, which brought together people involved in assessment, service provision, education and treatment of older children and adults with Autism who are more severely affected and/or “lower-functioning.”

This is a focus of great interest to OAARSN, which is cited at several points in the volume. Several other papers added for this special volume, while useful and interesting, have tended to blur the original focus. Very few papers concern themselves with adults with Autism – who are, as the editors note, under-represented in research and clinical studies. We hope that the next collection of papers will be able to report more findings and on “what helps?” as well as “what’s wrong?”

Fourteen papers are included, by 20 authors:
Etiology:
Advances in Understanding Causes of Autism and Effective Interventions by Indu Joshi, Maire Percy and Ivan Brown

The Relationship Between Autism and Fragile X Syndrome: A review of the research by Jenny Demark

Assessment and Diagnosis
Accessing and Assessing Intelligence in Individuals with Low Functioning Autism by Rita S. Eagle

Challenges in Identifying Mental Health Issues in Individuals with Severe Autism by Soula Homatidis

Best Practices and Practical Strategies for Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism by Adrienne Perry, Rosemary A. Condillac and Nancy L. Freeman

Intervention
Teaching Prerequisite Matching and Object Permanence Skills to Those Who Have Difficulty Communicating with Photos or Pictures by Marilyn Chassman [a case study of the author’s working with her son aged 9-11 years]

Children and Adolescents with Pervasive Developmental Disorders: The role of a crisis center by Susan Sweet [Youthdale Treatment Services, a “secure, 10-bed, in-patient facility”for adolescents aged 12-15 years, 10 out of 294 of whom had PDD in the study period]

Community Participation in an Admission Process to a Government-Operated Facility for Children and Adolescents with Severe Autistic Disorder by Patti Reed [new 5-bed child and adolescent home by TRE-ADD at Thistletown Regional Centre]

Consultation to a Group Home for a Young Autistic Woman with a History of Severe Trauma by Lynne Sinclair

Pervasive Developmental (“Autistic Spectrum”) Disorders: Treatment issues by James Deutsch [Youthdale Psychiatric Crisis Service]

Intensive Early Intervention Program for Children with Autism: Background and design of the Ontario pre-school Autism initiative by Adrienne Perry

Behavioural Issues
Self-injurious Behaviours in Autism: A literature review by Jonathan Weiss

Behaviour is Communication: Nonverbal communicative behaviour in students with Autism and instructors’ responsivity by Nancy L. Freeman, Adrienne Perry and James Bebko

Using the Internet Content Analysis of Online Autism Specific Sites by Jeeshan Chowdury, Jane Drummond, Darcy Fleming, and Susan Neufeld [based on as study of relevant websites in July-August 1999, too early to include OAARSN]

The Journal is published by the Ontario Association on Developmental Disabilities (OADD) whose paid members receive a subscription. Single copies may be ordered for $25 from OADD, 4 Overlea Blvd, East York, ON, M4H 1A4. Visit the website at http://www.oadd.org