Autism Spectrum Disorder

This book is directed especially toward parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Chantal Sicile-Kira's goal is to save parents "countless hours of precious time and heartache" by sharing what she has learned navigating through the various systems. She has an autistic child of her own and she knows the ropes having spent "tens of thousands of hours" learning about autism and the treatments and interventions available, and how the various support and governmental groups and organizations work.

She begins by debunking myths about autism while providing a little history including some sharp commentary about Bruno Bettelheim, the psychotherapist who thought that autism was caused by "refrigerator mothers" of cold affect who pushed their children into emotional isolation. She emphasizes that autism is a "spectrum disorder" that is becoming more and more prevalent without a clear etiology.

She follows this with a chapter explaining what ASDs are and "How to Know If a Person Has One." She addresses herself to parents who have absolutely no experience with autism, parents who have no idea what to do or how to feel. In Chapter 3 she looks into the causes and attempts to explain why people with ASDs act the way they do. Then she guides parents to what to expect and what to do after a diagnosis of autism. In Chapter 5 she comments on treatments, therapies, and interventions.

What Sicile-Kira does so well is to make the reader understand and appreciate what it is like to be a parent of an autistic child, what family life can be like with siblings, what the educational prospects are, how one fits into the community and what the future may hold. Autism spectrum disorders are becoming better and better understood all the time, and there is even a school of thought that suggests that, in their milder forms, to look for a "cure" may be a misdirection because many autistics have a unique and valuable way of viewing the world and living life.

This is a personal book, but it is also a professional book. There is an appendix giving "Parent Ratings of Behavioral Effects of Biomedical Interventions": which drugs have or have not been effective, how non-drug supplements have or have not helped, and the effect of special diets. There is a section on "Resources," including ASD-Specific Organizations, general organizations, governmental agencies, books; and there's a bibliography.

If you want an introduction to autism and the world of autism from a parental and a professional point of view, this is an excellent place to start.



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