| Abstract: | Reviews the books, Infantile Autism: a clinical and phenomenological-anthropological investigation taking language as a a guide by Gerhard Bosch (see record 1971-10363-000); and Children without Childhood: a study of childhood schizophrenia by Benjamin B. Wolman (see record 1970-21272-000). The continuing saga of debate on the etiology of so-called early infantile autism continues, the major workers having gradually polarized around dynamic-sociological-interpersonal causation, neurological-metabolic and genetic etiology and of course learning theory based explanations of origins. These two books stress inter-personal and communication variables. The Bosch book concentrates on the language of the autistic child in order to infer thought process and clues to causations. It is a scholarly and balanced work with a unique and potentially useful viewpoint. Benjamin B. Wolman in his "Children without Childhood" offers still another "personality" view of childhood schizophrenia. The subject matter of the book is broad however, with "childhood schizophrenia" including what Wolman calls pseudo-amentive schizophrenia, autistic schizophrenia, symbiotic schizophrenia and others (including apparently early infantile autism). The unique feature of the book is Wolman's introduction of a fresh classification system for childhood psychosis based on his clinical experience over 30 years. The book would make a useful secondary reference for undergraduates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
