Autism has been defined by experts as a complex developmental disorder that appears in the first three years of life, affecting the brain's normal development of social and communication skills.  Its diagnostic markers include impaired social interactions, impaired verbal and nonverbal communication, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior.  This book challenges the prevailing, tragic narrative of impairment that so often characterizes discussions about autism and seriously engages the perspectives of people with autism, including those who have been considered as the most severely disabled within the autism spectrum.  Edited by Doublas Biklen, Ph.D., the heart of the book consists of chapters by people with autism themselves, both in an interview format with the author and personal written contributions. Each author communicates either by typing or by a combination of speech and typing. The volume allows a look into the rich and insightful perspectives of people who have heretofore been thought of as uninterested in the world.

"The prevailing view of autism and disability is redefined in this beautifully written book.  Can you ask for more than to inform, inspire, challenge, and help to create new ways of understanding?  Autism and the Myth of the Person Alone forces us to confront misunderstanding, misperceptions, and lack of knowlege, and to rethink disability and autism.  It demands that we embrace people who act, communicate, and socialize differently.  I love this book!"- Jan Nisbet, founding director, Institute on Disability/UCED