Educational Media Reviews Online

The Spectrum of Autism packs a lot of information into its 34 minute running time. The information it presents is concise, well organized, and serves as a good general introduction to the subject of autism in children. Topics covered include understanding autism, diagnosis, and treatment. The program’s emphasis is on the continuum of symptoms autistic children may present, which is why autism is known as a spectrum disorder.

To highlight the various ways in which autism is expressed, the video features several parents who recount their experiences in dealing with autistic children. Because the disorder covers a spectrum, diagnosis is difficult. One of the problems in dealing with autism is that training in recognizing its diverse symptoms has not been a key aspect of training health-care providers. A few of the parents share their stories about making the rounds of pediatricians, psychiatrists, and psychologists to get a diagnosis. This is changing, however, as the number of people diagnosed with the condition grows. The number in the U.S. is over 400,000. Autism is now the third most common learning disability in the nation.

In addition to interviews with parents, the program includes statements from medical professionals who offer some insights into the early detection and treatment of the disorder. Because autism is a behavioral problem rather than an organic disease, there are no medical tests to help with diagnosis. In discussing the topic of early awareness, one of the featured clinicians makes an interesting point. She says that, in her experience, parents are never wrong in assessing autism in their children.

The program does a good job of explaining that autism is communication disorder. Specifically, its hallmark is a lack of communication skills. Autistic children show a significant problem with speech and language development. Treatment for the disorder is as problematic as diagnosis. Again, the difficulty lies in the spectrum of autism and treatment outcomes vary significantly. Depending on how the disorder is manifested, treatment may lead to full integration into normal activities. Other children may enter adulthood requiring sheltering and help with decision-making.

As with most Fanlight Productions titles, The Spectrum of Autism is well edited and reflects very good production values. The information is accurate and useful to both health professionals and lay audiences.

This program is recommended to public and other libraries that need a brief introduction and overview of autism. Parents of children with autism, and those who suspect their children might have the disorder, would find the program particularly useful.