Customer Reviews

Loners: The Life Path of Unusual Children

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This book is certainly outstanding and it the only book besides _Shadow Syndromes_ which clearly confronts the topic of the relationship between Autism Spectrum Conditions (particularly Asperger's Disorder) and the Schizoid Personality. While some researchers have proclaimed the two to be separate diagnoses (e.g., Tantam), Wolff proceeds to give a detailed account of a group of children who were labeled 'Schizoid Personality of Childhood.' Furthermore, she extensively reviews the psychiatric literature in examining such children previous to Hans Asperger's account of Autistic Personality Disorder of Childhood, overviewing the evolution of the Schizoid Personality diagnosis. Wolff especially stresses the inadequacy of the current Asperger's diagnostic criteria because it often fails to include minimally impaired/gifted 'Schizoids'. Finally, Wolff expresses her conclusion: the majority of her Schizoid children, although many do fit the current DSM-IV/ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for Schizoid Personality Disorder, would be more appropriately accounted for as having mild Asperger's Syndrome with some Schizotypal traits; also, although there was some overlap between High-Functioning Autistic children and the Asperger/Schizoid children, a distinction was made between the two groups.

Austism, schizoid personality traits, what do they have in common? Are they one in the same, with those who exhibit schizoid personalty traits simply being high functioning individuals with autism? Or are they discrete diagnostic entities, not simply the same condition but only at different ends of the "autistic spectrum"? Sula Wolff provides a rich discussion of people who by many are labelled "asocial," providing anecdotal accounts with children seen in her own practice, as well as a wealth of information from formal studies. This book should be in the library of anyone who has an interest in children who do not seem to fit into society and by those who are interested in the subject of individuals with high functioning autism.

While I wish there were more books out there about less extreme cases of these disorders, it was a very informative and enlightening book. It has definitely changed my outlook of this whole subject. It was sometimes hard to read, but if you can sift for the meat of the issue it is well worth the effort. If you love to read real cases studies, with real facts, and not interpretations based on the author's bias, you will love this author's style.

This information is presented as a study. If you are looking for lots of data this is a good source.