About the book: 2006 / The book by the famous English scientist Francesca Appe is an overview of modern theories of autism. The author analyzes concepts and major lines of research that examine autism at the behavioral, biological, and cognitive levels, giving the reader an opportunity to see the problem as a whole. Complex modern ideas, many of which are covered in Russian for the first time, are described in clear and intelligible language. A book for undergraduate and graduate students studying autism in its psychological, medical, speech therapy and pedagogical aspects, as well as for anyone interested in a deeper understanding of the problem autism. The publication was carried out within the framework of projects of the Center for Curative Pedagogy (Moscow) with the support of: Moscow representative office of United Way International (United Way International, USA) Action for Russian Children (UK) Diaconal Service of the Evangelical Church of Germany