Recovery and Prevention

Abstract

Recovery and prevention are among the two most sought after achievements in the treatment of any disorder. Recovery from autism continues to be a controversial topic, receiving everything from total acceptance in some circles to complete denial in others. Recovery is talked about widely in the community of families affected by autism spectrum disorders (ASD), as well as amongst practitioners of complementary and alternative medical treatments (CAMs), but little has been written on the topic in peer-reviewed scientific publications. The unfortunate result is that families of individuals with ASD are left primarily with unsubstantiated claims that are propagated on the World Wide Web. In the first half of this chapter, we will review definitions of recovery from autism, elaborate our working definition, review existing scientific evidence on the topic, and discuss directions for future research on recovery. If the concept of recovery from autism is controversial, the concept of prevention of autism is virtually unheard of. In the second half of the chapter, we will discuss a behavioral approach to the concept of preventing autism and describe some initial clinical impressions. Since research on preventing autism has not even begun, our discussion of prevention will necessarily be primarily conceptual. The chapter will then conclude with overall directions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)