Handbook of Neurodevelopmental and Genetic Disorders in Children

Handbook of Neurodevelopmental and Genetic Disorders in Children

Goldstein S, Reynolds CR, editors

New York: The Guilford Press; 1999. 602 pp. with index

ISBN 1-57230-448-0 (cloth)

I found this book very interesting to read and extremely informative. It consists of 3 sections, which are authored by individual professionals well known in their fields. The book’s presentation, as well as the specific information in each section, are very attractive to the reader and easy to follow.

The first section addresses the basic principles and applications relevant to neurodevelopmental and genetic disorders in children. The principal editors and contributing authors address rather difficult and, in some way, controversial areas of specific neurodevelopmental disorders, their origin and the basic interplay of “nature versus nurture.” The section also contains various ways of assessing these disorders and various interventions that are helpful for each subcategory.

In the second section the authors contribute a great deal of knowledge in the areas of specific disorders that primarily affect learning and behaviour. They shed new light in the exploration of such disorders such as learning disabilities, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Tourette’s disorder, anxiety disorders, and autism and other pervasive developmental disorders.

This section of the book is particularly interesting, as the various contributing authors offer general, updated information on the definition and genetics of each disorder, as well as the associated phenomenology, assessment methods and available interventions. The state-of-the-art knowledge presented is linked to relevant research and clinical data, offering a wealth of references as the literature has evolved during the past 3 decades. As a professional child psychiatrist, specialized in neurodevelopmental and genetic disorders of childhood and dealing daily with these issues, I found this section very useful, not only for its knowledge base, but also for its clinical implications and suggested services related to these disorders.

The third section of this volume deals with disorders with broader-spectrum effects. This is very relevant and important for professionals in this sphere, as well as for parents and other interested readers. I believe that each group can profit from the richness of the contributions offered in the areas of specific genetically transmitted disorders with associated neurodevelopmental deficits. The conditions explored in this section are Turner’s syndrome, fragile X syndrome, mucopolysaccaridoses, Noonan’s syndrome, neurofibromatosis, sickle cell disease, Down’s syndrome, Klinefelter’s syndrome, phenylketonuria, Rett’s syndrome, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, seizure disorder, Prader-Willi syndrome and Williams’ syndrome.

This section has a presentation similar to the previous 2 sections. It is well written, with up-to-date information in the areas of genetics and neurodevelopment, classification assessment and clinical presentation, as well as interventions for these disorders. I found each chapter in this section to be very informative and well researched, with extensive references.

In summary, this book presents extremely interesting, important and relevant information for specialists in child psychiatry, neurology, psychology and allied sciences such as social work and speech or occupational therapy. It also offers good insights and general information for families with children with such disorders and suggests relevant interventions, which are so important for these families. I believe that this book is a “must-read” for all concerned with the specific topics that are covered.