Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is understood to be a behaviourally-defined continuum of characteristics that typically involve social interaction and communication deficits and certain sensory and perceptual experiences. In the present series of studies we investigated the nature of the stressful events and situations (i.e. acute, chronic, and daily hassles) experienced by adults with High-functioning Autism (HFA). Second, we evaluated which aspects of these stressful events and situations were associated with the severity of affective symptoms (i.e. anxiety, depression) in people with HFA. Third, we evaluated the manner in which people with HFA coped with these stressors and how they utilised social support, relative to people without the disorder. Finally, we evaluated whether coping strategy use and social support moderated (i.e. reduced) the association of high stress to worse anxiety and depression, separately in people with and without HFA. Paper 1 aimed to qualitatively examine a sample of adults diagnosed with HFA (N=91), in particular, to ask them about which aspects of the environment were most stressful for them and their psychological response to them. Paper 2 aimed to systematically explore which aspects of the environment are most stressful for people with HFA (N=91) (e.g. social interaction), and which stressor characteristics (e.g. chronicity, severity, relatedness to HFA) will best predict their psychological response (i.e. depression, anxiety) to stress using the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule (LEDS). Paper 3 aimed to evaluate the specific coping strategies used by adults with HFA (N=183) to help them cope with stressful situations including social support utilisation by evaluating a broad range of different coping strategies, functions of coping, and social support utilization, and how they are related to psychological stress, anxiety and depression in adults with HFA compared to adults without HFA (N=424). Paper 4 aimed to evaluate coping strategies and social support utilisation as potential moderators of the high stress to worse affective symptom relationship in people with (N=183) and without HFA (N=424). Paper 5 aimed to utilise the ASD-specific stress measure (The Stress Survey Schedule; SSS) to empirically examine the usefulness of the scale in adults with HFA (N=183) by comparing them to adults without HFA (N=424), so as to better understand the specific psychological needs of this clinical population. The SSS item responses obtained from people with HFA were examined to assess the scale's validity and reliability in this clinical population. The measure was then used to explore the relationship between daily stressors, psychological stress, and affective symptoms in people with HFA. In addition to the SSS, well-established and valid measures of stressors (LEDS), psychological stress, affective symptoms (i.e. Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale; DASS-21), coping (Brief COPE), and social support utilisation (Social Support Questionnaire; SSQ) were used to evaluate the parameters in these studies. In addition, the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (TMSC) and the mind-blindness hypothesis of ASD were used to assist in the exploration of these states in people with HFA, and their relationship to stressors, coping and social support.

The aim of the book is to serve for clinical, practical, basic and scholarly practices. In twentyfive chapters it covers the most important topics related to Autism Spectrum Disorders in the efficient way and aims to be useful for health professionals in training or clinicians seeking an update. Different people with autism can have very different symptoms. Autism is considered to be a "spectrum" disorder, a group of disorders with similar features. Some people may experience merely mild disturbances, while the others have very serious symptoms. This book is aimed to be used as a textbook for child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship training and will serve as a reference for practicing psychologists, child and adolescent psychiatrists, general psychiatrists, pediatricians, child neurologists, nurses, social workers and family physicians. A free access to the full-text electronic version of the book via Intech reading platform at http://www.intechweb.org is a great bonus.

Autism spectrum disorders are developmental disorders. Individuals with autism spectrum disorders develop differently. These differences are usually present in social interaction, communication, and sensory processing, and become visible through a wide variety of behavioral responses that differ from individuals without autism spectrum disorders. Despite significant research efforts, the exact causes of autism spectrum disorders remain poorly understood; however, researchers have gained extensive insights into possible pathomechanisms, even at the molecular level of cells. Many diagnostic criteria have been developed, adapted, and improved. The eight chapters in this book highlight the current state-of-the-art in many areas of autism spectrum disorders. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the epidemiology of autism spectrum disorders and the current knowledge of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms. Chapter 2 summarizes the diagnostic criteria and procedures and highlights present and upcoming therapeutic strategies. Chapter 3 reviews the adverse events and trauma in people with autism spectrum disorders. Chapters 4 and 5 focus on atypical sensory processing, and Chapter 6 discusses the genetic overlap of autism spectrum disorders with other neuropsychiatric disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, and schizophrenia. Chapter 7 focuses on the contribution of abnormalities in mitochondria, and chapter 8 discusses gut-brain interactions and a potential role for microbiota in autism spectrum disorders. This book is aimed primarily at clinicians and scientists, but many areas will also be of interest to the layperson.

Publisher description

All parents experience stress as they attempt to meet the challenges of caring for their children. This comprehensive book examines the causes and consequences of parenting distress, drawing on a wide array of findings in current empirical research. Kirby Deater-Deckard explores normal and pathological parenting stress, the influences of parents on their children as well as children on their parents, and the effects of biological and environmental factors. Beginning with an overview of theories of stress and coping, Deater-Deckard goes on to describe how parenting stress is linked with problems in adult and child health (emotional problems, developmental disorders, illness); parental behaviors (warmth, harsh discipline); and factors outside the family (marital quality, work roles, cultural influences). The book concludes with a useful review of coping strategies and interventions that have been demonstrated to alleviate parenting stress.

An important component of Division TEACCH's mandate from the Department of Psychiatry of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and the North Carolina State Legislature is to conduct research aimed toward improving the understanding of developmental disabilities such as autism and to train the professionals who will be needed to work with this challenging population. An important mechanism to help meet these goals is our annual conference on topics of special importance for the understanding and treatment of autism and related disorders. As with the preceding books in this series entitled Current Issues in Autism, this most recent volume is based on one of these conferences. The books are not, however, simply published proceedings of conference papers. Instead, cer tain conference participants were asked to develop chapters around their pres entations, and other national and intemational experts whose work is beyond the scope of the conference but related to the conference theme were asked to contribute manuscripts as weil. These volumes are intended to provide the most current knowledge and professional practice available to us at this time.

The standard reference in the field, this acclaimed work synthesizes findings from hundreds of carefully selected studies of mental health treatments for children and adolescents. Chapters on frequently encountered clinical problems systematically review the available data, identify gaps in what is known, and spell out recommendations for evidence-based practice. The authors draw on extensive clinical experience as well as research expertise. Showcasing the most effective psychosocial and pharmacological interventions for young patients, they also address challenges in translating research into real-world clinical practice. New to This Edition *Incorporates over a decade of research advances and evolving models of evidence-based care. *New chapter topic: child maltreatment. *Separate chapters on self-injurious behavior, eating disorders, and substance use disorders (previously covered in a single chapter on self-harming disorders). *Expanded chapters on depression, anxiety, and conduct disorder. *Includes reviews of the burgeoning range of manualized psychosocial "treatment packages" for children.