Customer Reviews

Diseases and Disorders - Autism

5 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm the author of this book, and I would like to respond to one reviewer's concern about the title of the book. Its title is "Autism." It is part of a series about diseases and disorders published by Lucent Books. Hence, the subtitle. Some of the book titles in the series, like "Diabetes," are classified as diseases. Others, like "Autism," are classified as disorders.

The author is well aware of the difference between the two classifications and exclusively refers to autism as a disorder throughout the book (and even explains why it is NOT considered a disease), as is common medical practice.

The book was (and still may be) the only supplemental reading material targeted to the young adult market on this topic. It is an overview meant to increase awareness and knowledge about autism amongst young people, some of whom may be the friends and relatives of people who have been diagnosed as autistic. As such, it is a unique contribution to the literature.

Also, feel free to disregard the rating attached to this review. Unfortunately, Amazon won't let a reviewer post a review without indicating a rating. My opinion, of course, is biased and irrelevant.

Autism is not a disease, but a sensory/neurobiological condition that affects communication and sensory processing. The claim that autism is a disease is erroneous, plain and simple.

There is a wonderful body of literature that currently exists on autism, so readers are better served by skipping this one.