Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adults

In this book a group of international experts guide the reader through the clinical features of adults with autism spectrum disorders, describe the care needs of patients and their families, explain the evolution of the disorders into old age, and highlight what can be done to help. Detailed attention is paid to the medical and psychiatric problems of adults with these disorders and the approach to their education and professional integration. In addition, expert neuroscientists summarize current views on the neurobiology of autism. Autism spectrum disorders are devastating neurodevelopmental disorders. Although diagnosis and therapeutic interventions usually take place in infancy, they are chronic lifelong conditions. Surprisingly, the literature on autism spectrum disorders in adults is scarce. Moreover, most mental health professionals working with adults have little training in autism, and adult mental health services around the world are rarely prepared to address the needs of these patients, which tend to increase with age. This book therefore fills a crucial gap in the literature and will prove useful for all who care for and deal with adults in the Autistic Spectrum.

Bernardo Barahona-Correa is a psychiatrist and professor of Psychiatry at NOVA Medical School in Lisbon. He is also Scientific Director at Centre for Child Development (CADIn), Cascais, Portugal, and a clinical and research consultant at Champalimaud Clinical Centre - Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown in Lisbon, Portugal. Prof Barahona-Correa has served as a Directive Board member of the Portuguese Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health, and is a member of the British Neuropsychiatric Association. His research interest is primarily in clinical neuropsychiatry and neurodevelopmental disorders. He has published numerous papers and collaborated in several books in the field. He is also a member of the Review Editorial Board for Frontier in Psychology - section psychopathology. Rutger-Jan van der Gaag, University Medical Centre Nijmegen St. Radboud, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.