Autism: An Introduction to Psychological Theory

by Francesca Happé

Autism is a fascinating yet perplexing disorder that continues to intrigue researchers and clinicians studying brain and behavior. In this lucid and elegant book, Francesca Happé provides a concise overview of current psychological theory and research that synthesizes the established work on the biological foundations, cognitive characteristics, and behavioral manifestations of this disorder. She focuses her discussion on the cognitive approaches that deal with both thought and feeling--those hypotheses that link brain to action, deepen our understanding of the autistic person's view of the world, and offer better approaches to effectively managing the behavior of people with autism struggling to live in our world. The book reviews the latest research into the communication, socialization, and imagination impairments in autism, and further distinguishes the levels of severity in the spectrum of autistic disorders. Happé also includes a discussion of the talented few--high-functioning autistic individuals with Asperger's syndrome--and of the many childhood behavioral disorders, unrelated to autism, that manifest autistic-like symptoms. Autism is an important and much-needed contribution to the literature. It will be valued by parents and teachers of autistic children as well as by students and researchers interested in disorders of language and communication.

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Psychology

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[The1likenevl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I currently work with autistic students & found elements of this book useful for reference in my line of work.

[sophie ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read!

As this was published in 1994, terms and ideas are outdated e.g. ‘people with autism’ instead of autistic people, ‘normal’ instead of neurotypical, and the question of whether of autism can be ‘cured’ towards the end.

However, I felt there was a lot covered in the 129 pages and it was interesting to me to read about what had been researched and what ideas had been explored by 1994 and to read about them in that time context.

While I was reading I wondered if there would ever be an updated version, and I’m happy to see that one was published in 2019! I will definitely pick it up in the future.

[Ell Washington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just skim read this today. It’s a good introduction to some theories as it says so worth a read if you’re interested in getting to know the condition better. However it is old and there’s a fair bit of outdated stuff ie about Asperger’s syndrome. As an autistic person myself I appreciated learning about different tests that have been used in the past and comparing my potential responses. It was also beneficial to see these older views because now I can perhaps understand the context my parents generation have for autism and why they were shocked to find out I had it at first.

[Tijne · Rating 3 out of 5]

quite repetitive and unclear in some explanations, and the concluding sections also lack clarity. It's great as introduction to case studies and for historical research into ASD and diagnoses of autism/Asperger's though