Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders

A dramatic increase in the number of children who are diagnosed with an autistic disorder has given rise to a deluge of articles on autism in the professional as well as the popular literature. This review of the current literature Summarizes and synthesizes recent information on the causes and manifestations of autism, the trends in screening, diagnosis, and assessment; and the salient features of different treatment progams. It provides an overview of the advances and controversial issues that are of special interest to practicing clinical psychologists.