The view that a deaf child with autism is just that--a deaf child first (because of the critical importance of communication) and an autistic child second--is the more prevalent today, especially in larger educational programs. But this was not always the case. In the past, placement decisions often were determined in the opposite way: Many deaf…

Reviews characteristics of pervasive developmental disorder and Asperger's disorder in the context of social work. The current literature and the roles of the social worker are discussed relative to education, case management, family therapy, individual therapy, and group work. (DB)

The development of a new standardized investigator-based interview for use in the differential diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorders is described, together with a diagnostic algorithm based on its use. The algorithm correctly identified 16 autistic individuals and none of the 16 nonautistic mentally handicapped subjects. (Author/DB)

This newsletter issue presents five articles addressing intervention with infants and toddlers having pervasive developmental disabilities. The first article is by Stanley I. Greenspan and is titled "Reconsidering the Diagnosis and Treatment of Very Young Children with Autistic Spectrum or Pervasive Developmental Disorder." This article…

Special education is now an established part of public education in the United States--by law and by custom. However, it is still widely misunderstood and continues to be dogged by controversies related to such things as categorization, grouping, assessment, placement, funding, instruction, and a variety of legal issues. The purpose of this…

This monograph addresses common misconceptions about developmental disabilities, describes the conditions that child welfare workers are most likely to see, provides examples of effective interventions, and stresses the importance of early intervention to promote healthy development. Specific chapters include: (1) "Understanding Developmental…

This book addresses the educational needs of children who are pervasively developmentally delayed (PDD), especially those exposed to drugs prenatally and those with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, autism, hyperactivity, Aspberger Syndrome, other heath impairments, attention deficit disorder, and childhood aphasia. The first chapter recommends the use of…