Autism is receiving perhaps more research and clinical interest than any other area of mental health. Furthermore, definitions have expanded, and, in 2007, the National Disease Center in
Atlanta reported that autism - once considered a rare condition - afflicts 1 in every 150 children. Given the tremendous interest, the U.S. Congress recently passed a large federal budget
initiative to provide further study of the topic. Consequently, the research in the area has expanded at an incredible rate. The acknowledged treatment of choice for core symptoms of autism is
applied behavior analysis (ABA). This assessment not only is validated by researchers in this area, but by those who apply pharmacotherapy as well. This latter group states that medications are
not effective for core symptoms and should be used as an adjunctive intervention. The number of programs and research studies on applied behavior analysis as a means of assessing and treating
core symptoms of autism and related skills deficits have advanced rapidly. The purpose of this volume is to provide an advanced scholarly review and critical analysis of the topic. The handbook
will be comprehensive and provide an assessment of relevant research, research trends, and the implication of these data for clinical practice. The books are intended to serve as valuable
resource for researchers, practitioners in the field of applied behavior analysis, and for graduate students. In addition, there are many graduate level courses in applied behavior analysis and
autism. Most of these are relatively new, and course offerings are expanding rapidly.
