The North Carolina State Legislature's mandate to Division TEACCH has
three major components. First, to provide the most up-to-date and cost-
effective services possible for families with autistic or similar
language- impaired children; second, to conduct research aimed toward
the better under- standing of such devastating disorders; and third, to
provide training for the professionals needed to pursue these goals. One
element in achieving these aims is to hold annual conferences on topics
of special importance to the under- standing and treatment of autism and
similar disorders. In addition to training professionals and parents on
the most recent de- velopments in each conference topic, we are
publishing a series, Current Issues in Autism, based on these
conferences. These books are not, however, simply the published
proceedings of the conference papers. Instead, some chapters are
expanded conference presentations, whereas others come from national and
in- ternational experts whose work is beyond the scope of the
conference, but es- sential in our attempt at comprehensive coverage of
the conference theme. These volumes are intended to provide the most
current knowledge and profes- sional practice available to us at the
time.