Autism As an Executive Disorder [Hardcover]

James Russell (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 5, 1998

Autism continues to fascinate researchers because of its debilitating effects and its complex nature and origins. The prevalent theory is that autism is characterized by difficulties in understanding mental concepts, but the contributors to this book present arguments for an alternative theory. Their research points strongly to the idea that autism is primarily a disorder of "executive functions", those involved in the control of action and thought. They emphasize the importance of the behavioral rigidity that arises in autism, such as resistance to change and obsession with regularity. The book provides a new and controversial perspective from some of the leading researchers in this field; it will interest psychologists and clinicians working to understand this disabling and baffling condition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Well worth the price. The first chapter, on the neurobiology of autism, is one of the best sources I've seen for lay readers on what is known or suspected about the basic brain biology of autism. The rest of the book is in the main British neuropsychology, to my mind some of the richest psychological thinking on earth . . . There is another terrific chapter comparing the EF deficits in ADHD to EF deficits in autism; this was the first time I've encountered an explanation for my frequent sense that ADHD kids are harder to deal with even though 'technically' autism is the more challenging diagnosis. And last but far from least Russell includes a chapter on the particular strengths of people with autism--an approach that is almost never taken here in America . . . A wonderful, wonderful book."--Catherine Johnson, Ph.D., coauthor of Shadow Syndromes, trustee of the National Alliance for Autism Research

About the Author

James Russell is at University of Cambridge.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1 edition (March 5, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198523491
• ISBN-13: 978-0198523499
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,720,476 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorites, March 13, 2000

By 

Catherine Johnson "cijohn" (Irvington, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Autism As an Executive Disorder (Hardcover)

Well worth the price. The first chapter, on the neurobiology of autism, is one of the best sources I've seen for lay readers on what is known or suspected about the basic brain biology of autism. The rest of the book is in the main British neuropsychology, to my mind some of the richest psychological thinking on earth, and a paradigm shift for parents and practitioners accustomed to taking a strictly "behavioral" view of the disorder and the people who have it. Behavior management and behavioral teaching methods are certainly essential to children and adults with autism, but they don't take us inside the disorder. That is the project of neuropsychology.

Russell's book is a rebuttal of "theory of mind" proponents by "executive function" (EF) proponents. The theory of mind folks argue that autism involves a core deficit in mind-reading ability; the "executive function" researchers in Russell's book present evidence supporting the position that any apparent theory of mind deficits are secondary to a basic frontal lobe problem in EF.

Executive function is the "ability to plan and execute complex behavior." A person with high EF is able to want to do something, to plan how to do it, and then to stay on track while he is doing what he set out to do. EF is thought to be "modular"; any one of its various components can be impaired while the others are up and running.

An important aspect of EF is the ability to stop doing whatever you're doing when you need to: a person with a healthy EF has the ability not to become "stuck." Of course children with autism get stuck all the time, and Russell's authors present evidence that these children have many abilities they aren't able to access or demonstrate because they can't move on from what they're doing in order to get to higher-order play or communication skills.

For instance, one chapter presents research on pretend play in autism, showing that children with autism may in fact have the capacity and desire to engage in far more pretend play than they do. The reason they don't use this capacity, the researchers argue, is that they get stuck spinning wheels and lining things up. They can't move on.

There is another terrific chapter comparing the EF deficits in ADHD to EF deficits in autism; this was the first time I've encountered an explanation for my frequent sense that ADHD kids are harder to deal with even though "technically" autism is the more challenging diagnosis.

And last but far from least Russell includes a chapter on the particular strengths of people with autism-an approach that is almost never taken here in America, where we focus exclusively on deficits, and tend to see children with autism as one big ball of problems to be remediated.

A wonderful, wonderful book.