Designed to advance understanding of the unique needs of high-functioning individuals with autism, this volume details the latest diagnostic and treatment approaches and analyzes the current conceptions of the neurological processes involved in autism.

As the pastPresident ofthe Israel Society forAutism, it gives me great pleasure to c- gratulate Professor Schopler and his colleagues on the publication of their new book concerning the relationship between scientific research and treatment. When we in Israel began our specifically structured education program for young children with autism, our work was based on slim to scarceknow-how andinformation, and with no experience whatsoever. Whatever information we could gather was mostly from psychological educational centers in the U.S. One of the most important and significant connections was...

As a division of the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at ChapeI Hili, TEACCH has always been involved in the latest biological research on autism and related developmental disabilities. However, until now there has not been sufficient information to justify aseparate volume on this most important topic. Recent advances both in our under- standing of the brain and in the technology to facilitate the measurement of neurological functioning have stimulated significant growth, which is reflected in this volume. As with the preceding books in this series, Current Issues in...

As the oldest statewide program serving autistic people in the United States, North Carolina's Division TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication handicapped CHildren) has had a major impact on ser- vices for these people and their families. As we move into our second decade, we are frequently questioned about all aspects of our procedures, techniques, and program. Of all the questions that are asked, however, the one that comes up most frequently and seems to set our program apart from others concerns the ways in which we work with families. To help answer this...

- Professionals can be trained in the program and its methods
- Translates scientific knowledge so that practitioners and parents can easily understand the current state of knowledge
- Offers strategies that can be tailored to an individual's unique developmental and functional level
- Advises parents on how to become involved in all phases of intervention as collaborators, co-therapists, and advocates.
- Details how the program can be introduced and adapted for individuals of all ages, from preschooler to adult

Division TEACCH, located in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was one of the first programs in the country to understand that autism was an organic rather than a biologic condition. We were also one of the earliest programs to recognize the enormous variability in characteristics and behaviors of children described as autistic. For these reasons, the processes of diagnosis and assessment have always been important and central to our program. We are therefore extremely pleased to have a volume representing the most current thinking of the field's...