It is estimated that 7.2 million people in the United States have mental retardation or associated impairments - a spectrum now referred to as "intellectual disability." This book provides professionals with the latest and most reliable information on these disabilities. It utilizes a developmental perspective and reviews the various types of intellectual disabilities, discusses approaches to classification, diagnosis, and appropriate interventions, and provides information on resources that may offer additional help. Case examples are included in each section to highlight specific diagnostic and treatment issues. The emphasis in this book is on the development of the person, the provision of interventions for behavioral and emotional problems associated with intellectual disability, and the positive support necessary for self-determination. It discusses the facilitation of transitions throughout the lifespan from infancy to maturity and old age. Additionally, the book reviews evaluations for behavioral and emotional problems, genetic factors, appropriate psychosocial, medical, and pharmacological interventions, and family and community support.

The life story of Jeanne Simons, whose own autism informed her pioneering work with autistic children. Jeanne Simons devoted her career as a social worker and educator to the study, treatment, and care of children with autism. In 1955, she established the Linwood Children's Center in Ellicott City, Maryland, one of the first schools dedicated to children with autism. Her Linwood Model, developed there, was widely adopted and still forms the basis for a variety of autism intervention techniques. Incredibly-although unknown at the time-Jeanne was herself autistic. Behind the Mirror reveals the remarkable tale of this trailblazer and how she thought, felt, and experienced the world around her. With moving immediacy, Jeanne tells her life story to developmental psychologist, friend, and collaborator Sabine Oishi. Jeanne's unique experience is supplemented by commentary from Dr. Oishi, who explains the importance of key biographical details and fills in additional information about the diagnosis and treatment of autism. Enhanced with a photo gallery, a look at new approaches to the education of children with autism, and a history of Linwood since its founding, the book also contains a foreword, an afterword, and an appendix by James C. Harris, MD, the past director of child psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the founder of its autism clinic. Demystifying the experience of autism, Behind the Mirror is a groundbreaking account of possibilities and hope.

Approximately 2.5 million people in the United States--one percent of the population--have an intellectual disability (previously referred to as mental retardation). These conditions range from genetic disorders such as Down syndrome to disabilities caused by infectious diseases and brain injury. Intellectual Disability: A Guide for Families and Professionals, by one of the country's foremost authorities on intellectual disability, is a comprehensive resource that will be of importance to anyone with a personal connection to a child or adult with a neurodevelopmental disorder.
Emphasizing the humanity of persons with intellectual and related developmental disabilities, psychiatrist and pediatrician James Harris provides essential information on assessment and diagnosis of intellectual disability, treatments for specific disorders, and ways to take advantage of the wide array of services available today. The focus throughout is on the development of the person, the positive supports necessary for self-determination, and, to the extent possible, independent decision making. Harris also surveys historical attitudes toward intellectual disability, the medical community's current understanding of its causes and frequency, and the associated physical, behavioral, and psychiatric conditions (such as seizure disorder, depression, and autism) that often accompany particular types of intellectual disability. The book addresses legal, medical, mental health, and research-related issues as well as matters of spirituality, highlighting the ways in which individuals with intellectual disability can meaningfully participate in the spiritual lives of their families and their communities. Each chapter ends with a series of key points to remember, and the book concludes with a list of additional resources of further interest.
Intellectual Disability is a must-read for parents and families of those with neurodevelopmental disorders, providing guidance and essential information to help their family members effectively, and to make a significant, positive difference in their lives now and in the future.

James Harris's two volume work on developmental neuropsychiatry sets the agenda for this emerging clinical specialty. Written by an individual with the developmental expertise of a pediatrician, the behavioral sophistication of an adult and child psychiatrist, and a deep appreciation of neuroscience, these two books offer an integrated yet comprehensive approach to developmental neuropsychiatry. Grounded in neuroscience but enriched by clinical realities, Volume II provides a comprehensive review of the developmental neuropsychiatric disorders. Throughout the text current DSM-IV diagnostic criteria are provided. Part I outlines the diagnostic process and the genetic history, provides details on the conduct of neuropsychological testing, and offers a detailed review of brain imaging techniques, moving from CT and MRI scanning to the most recent developments in functional MRI and PET scanning. Part II discusses mental retardation, cerebral palsy, the learning disorders, the pervasive developmental disorders, and traumatic brain injury. Part III describes behavioral phenotypes in cytogenetic and other genetic disorders, genetic metabolic disorders, and disorders that result from gestational substance abuse. Part IV is devoted to developmental psychopathology and includes Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, Tourette's disorder, sleep disorders, and the syndromes of aggression and self-injury primarily occurring in mentally retarded persons. Part V covers treatment and includes detailed descriptions of psychotherapy, behavior therapy, pharmacological interventions, genetic counseling, and gene therapy. Finally, Part VI deals with legal and ethical issues as they pertain to developmentally disabled persons.

Although developmental concepts have held a prominent place in American psychiatry for over fifty years because of the dominance of psychodynamic theory, it is only in recent years that advances in neuroscience have begun to impact developmental psychiatry. James Harris's two volume work on developmental neuropsychiatry sets the agenda for this emerging clinical specialty. Written by an individual with the developmental expertise of a pediatrician, the behavioral sophistication of an adult and child psychiatrist, and a deep appreciation of neuroscience, these two books offer an integrated yet comprehensive approach to developmental neuropsychiatry.
In Volume I, Part I discusses basic neural science, including aspects of molecular neurobiology, developmental neuroanatomy, neurotransmitter systems and neuronal signaling mechanisms, sleep and circadian rhythms, and basic genetics. Part II provides background on cognitive neuroscience that relate to attention, emotion, language, memory, neural networks, and consciousness. Part III emphasizes the developmental perspective which is crucial to an understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders. It offers an ethological framework as well as background information on cognitive development, emotion expression and regulation, language development, temperament and personality, and the emergence of the self.

Although developmental concepts have held a prominent place in American psychiatry for over fifty years because of the dominance of psychodynamic theory, it is only in recent years that advances in neuroscience have begun to impact developmental psychiatry. James Harris's two volume work on developmental neuropsychiatry sets the agenda for this emerging clinical specialty. Written by an individual with the developmental expertise of a pediatrician, the behavioral sophistication of an adult and child psychiatrist, and a deep appreciation of neuroscience, these two books offer an integrated yet comprehensive approach to developmental neuropsychiatry.
In Volume I, Part I discusses basic neural science, including aspects of molecular neurobiology, developmental neuroanatomy, neurotransmitter systems and neuronal signaling mechanisms, sleep and circadian rhythms, and basic genetics. Part II provides background on cognitive neuroscience that relate to attention, emotion, language, memory, neural networks, and consciousness. Part III emphasizes the developmental perspective which is crucial to an understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders. It offers an ethological framework as well as background information on cognitive development, emotion expression and regulation, language development, temperament and personality, and the emergence of the self.