Lars Perner

This edited volume contains contributions by eight individuals on the autism spectrum (including my chapter) and an introduction by Dr. Donald Treffert. The remaining contributing authors are Dr. Temple Grandin, Dr. Liane Holliday Willey, Dr. Valerie Paradiz, Dr. Dawn Prince, Dr. Stephen Shore, Dena Gassner, and Nick Walker. Each author chronicles his or her experiences in the respective chapter in the path toward either an academic position or an advanced degree leading to other professional opportunities As a whole, the book illustrates both similarities and contrasts between individual experiences. The book provides both general insight into the autism spectrum and insights for parents seeking to understand and best address the challenges of children on the autism spectrum.

Chronicles of personal experiences as an individual on the autism spectrum going through the educational experience and settling in the academic profession.

Considerations for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families in selecting an appropriate college.

Issues facing consumers on the autism spectrum in shopping--communication difficulties, resistance to change, and sensory overload.

Heterogeneity among the autism spectrum population reduces effect sizes of of treatments and, in some cases, introduces aggregation bias. Problems with current research and the benefits of more extensive autism subtype research are discussed.