Autism Spectrum Disorders (USA TODAY Health Reports: Diseases and Disorders)

Ana María Rodríguez is a scientist who became a writer. She was an academic researcher who also taught basic and advanced biology courses to graduate and undergraduate students for many years. In 1999, Ana María stepped down from the lab bench to be a full time writer of books and magazine articles for children and adults. She has over 80 magazine articles and 14 books published so far.

"Autism spectrum disorders are a group of conditions with onset in early in life and characterized by impaired social interactions, impaired communication, and restricted repetitive and stereotyped behaviors, interests, and activities. The spectrum ranges from severe autism, a condition associated with major impairment, to Asperger's syndrome, in which the individual is socially challenged, but less severely disabled. This volume provides a readable and scientifically accurate account of the current state of knowledge about these conditions. Despite its modest length, it is surprisingly complete. The chapters describe the disorders, present a brief history of the development of the concept, and discuss possible causes, testing and diagnosis, therapies, and the impact on families. Brief stories about affected individuals highlight important points and add a human dimension to the text. The author discusses controversial issues, related mainly to diagnosis and treatment, that have received a good deal of attention in the media, but have no scientific support. She gently, but emphatically, comes down on the side of science. Many unfamiliar terms are defined in the text, which is supplemented by a glossary. A list of resources for families, a selected bibliography, and a compilation of additional readings and websites add to the usefulness of the presentation. This book is one entry in the USA TODAY Health Reports series, and relevant articles from that newspaper appear in sidebars. I recommend this text highly to a wide audience, including students, parents, educators, and other professionals, as well as individuals who are on the milder end of the autism spectrum." --Science Books & Films

"Books in the USA Today Health Reports: Diseases and Disorders series offer informative discussions of their respective topics using three approaches: standard text, profiles, and articles. The main text presents capable readers with a good deal of information in a straightforward way. At intervals, stories of individuals introduce sympathetic young people coping with their diagnoses and their conditions. And throughout each book, about a dozen boxed sections entitled 'From the Pages of USA Today' reprint related newspaper articles from the last decade. AIDS discusses the HIV virus, how it affects the body, treatment for HIV and AIDS, the AIDS pandemic worldwide, and research exploring new treatments. Readers with science backgrounds may be intrigued by the illustrated section on HIV replication in a T cell. Autism Spectrum Disorders looks at the range of conditions within the autism spectrum and their possible causes, diagnosis, and treatment as well as coping strategies. Teens as well as children are profiled. Back matter includes a glossary, annotated lists of resource organizations and websites, selected bibliographies, very brief lists of source notes, and recommended reading lists. Colorfully illustrated with photos and other images, books in this attractive series provide information useful to student researchers and are supportive of those dealing with medical conditions." --Booklist

"These books serve as solid report fodder, with some interesting sidelights from the USA Today team. Each volume has an introduction, a description of the condition, chapters on what it is like to live with it, and material on research and treatments. A healthy smattering of statistics and personal stories appear throughout, as well as some fictionalized scenarios that are a bit less helpful. The volumes are colorful with shaded sidebars and a few well-chosen photos. Even though they are similar to other health series, such as the 'Science of Health: Youth and Well-Being' (Mason Crest), these titles are not an exact match. Solid additions for libraries in need of fresh looks at these diseases and disorders." --School Library Journal

"Each volume does a solid job in describing a particular health concern and its symptoms, explaining its impact on individuals (personal case studies are included) and society as a whole, and outlining various forms of treatment. Depression focuses specifically on teens dealing with that disorder. Tuberculosis is addressed as a contemporary, escalating concern. Unexceptional black-and-white photographs are included." --The Horn Book Guide