If you're trying to find out about the genetics of autism, this book has the potential to be really helpful -- if you can stomach it.

It will be obvious that I have problems with this book. So let me start by saying that it is a tremendously useful reference. I know of no comparable collection of information about genetic conditions related to developmental disabilities.

But there are two problems that I see. One is the excessive use of jargon. The book says it's for "parents and carers" -- but how many "parents and carers" will know the meaning of "neurofibroma," "hypotonia," "palpebral fissures," "tetralogy of Fallot" (to pick items from four random pages I flipped to)? Only the ones who are physicians -- and probably not all of those. Parents and carers need books in English, not medical jargon -- and most of this stuff could easily have been said in real words, not medicalese.

That's a practical problem. My other problem, I'll admit, is one more of approach. For every one of the dozens of conditions listed, author Aitken describes the proposed links to autism. But he does not assess them -- that is, he doesn't give us ordinary folks any idea if this link is real or not. In reading the book, time and again, I observed that the genetic condition was linked not to autism but first and foremost intellectual disability. Maybe that disability is autism-related, but as long as the link passes through intellectual disability, there is a problem of untangling which element is which. Remember, there are plenty of people with autism who are quite intelligent. Why aren't we finding the genetic conditions underlying autism with high intelligence? I don't know -- and Aitken's failure to sift the links with autism means that I am no wiser than I was before plodding through this book. If I hadn't been desperate for that information, I'm sure I'd have given up long before.

This is not to deny that some conditions (Down Syndrome, Fragile X) do carry a very high risk of autism. It's just that this book doesn't make it clear which they are.

If you have a single autistic relative or acquaintance and need to look up one syndrome, you can -- if you have a medical dictionary at hand -- probably plow through the part of this book about that single condition. And you will find leads to more information. If you want to learn about autism as a whole, or indeed about just about anyone with autism who doesn't suffer from intellectual disability, this book approaches the status of doorstop. ( )

Provides parents and carers with an overview of the main genetic disorders associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including those linked to cardiovascular issues, neurodevelopmental delay, immune dysfunction, growth differences, gastrointestinal imbalances and seizures. The author demystifies the umbrella term 'autism' by alphabetically listing these conditions along with information about how commonly they occur, their causes, signs and symptoms, and, for many, appropriate methods of treatment and management. Information on support groups and sources of further information are also included to help parents obtain any additional support they need, and keep up to date with new developments in research and practice.