Uta Frith ist eine wegweisende Entwicklungspsychologin, deren Arbeit unser Verständnis von Autismus und Legasthenie tiefgreifend geprägt hat. Ihre Forschung befasst sich mit der kognitiven Neurowissenschaft dieser Zustände und versucht, deren Komplexität zu entschlüsseln. Durch ihre einflussreichen Schriften und ihre Mentorenschaft hat sie Generationen von Forschern und Klinikern inspiriert und dem Fachgebiet einen unauslöschlichen Stempel aufgedrückt.
Jeder hat von Autismus gehört, aber die Störung selbst ist wenig verstanden. Diese sehr kurze Einführung in den Zustand bietet eine klare Darstellung dessen, was derzeit über Autismus und das Asperger-Syndrom bekannt ist.
Professors and husband-and-wife team Uta and Chris Frith have pioneered major studies of brain disorders throughout their nearly 50-year career. In this book, their distinguished careers serve as a prism through which they share the compelling story of the birth of neuroscience and their paradigm-shifting discoveries across areas as wide-ranging as autism and schizophrenia research, and new frontiers of social cognition including diversity, prejudice, confidence, collaboration and empathy. Working with their son Alex Frith and artist Daniel Locke, they examine the way that neuroscientific research is now focused on the fact we are a social species, whose brains have evolved to work cooperatively
The story of autism contains many puzzles, but none more tantalizing than the problem of the eccentric individual who appears to be both intellectually gifted and mentally handicapped and who finds it difficult to deal with everyday social interaction and communication. Such individuals are increasingly recognized as suffering from Asperger Syndrome. The argument presented in this book is that they suffer from a form of autism, but that they can compensate for this handicap to a remarkable degree. In this volume the foremost experts in the field discuss the diagnostic criteria of the syndrome, richly illustrated with examples from their clinical practices. Clinical accounts are balanced with personal accounts and some as yet preliminary research data. Asperger's classic paper is translated and annotated. The insights of this pioneer of autism have been unjustly neglected but reflect a very modern awareness of the many forms of autism and the wide range of individual differences in the men and women who suffer from this disorder. Asperger Syndrome individuals with their intellectual and linguistic ability and their desire for social adaptation are extremely vulnerable.
Li hanno chiamati bambini pesce, bambini della luna, tanto appaiono misteriosi: i bambini autistici hanno eretto un muro impenetrabile tra se stessi e il mondo che li circonda. Uta Frith riprende le fila del suo indiscusso e fondamentale studio sull’autismo infantile e delinea i più recenti sviluppi della ricerca neuropsicologica e neurologica sul disturbo. «Questa storia del viaggio della scienza verso la comprensione dell’autismo comprende idee romantiche e rivela reazioni emotive incredibilmente forti che io ho da tempo accettato come una componente del fascino che provo studiando l’autismo. Comprende anche alcuni fatti nudi e crudi provenienti dalla neuroscienza cognitiva. Credo che combinare i due opposti, la scienza rigorosa e le idee romantiche, l’obiettività e la passione, non sia impossibile, e l’enigma dell’autismo me ne ha dato la prova».