Product Description
Every parent, teacher, social worker, therapist, and physician should have this succinct and informative book in his/her back pocket. Framed with both humor and compassion, the book defines the top ten characteristics that illuminate the minds and hearts of children with autism. Ellen’s personal experiences as a parent, an autism columnist, and a contributor to numerous parenting magazines coalesce to create a guide for all who come in contact with a child on the autism spectrum.

Don’t buy just one of this book — buy one for everyone who interacts with your child! Give the gift of understanding. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (136)

A must read for anyone touched by a child with Autism!
I bought this book immediately after my son was diagnosed. After reading it, I ordered copies for everyone in his life. Grandparents. Friends. Preschool teacher. OT. SLP. Everyone. Read it several times - and use it as a reference guide. Good good good stuff!

Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wish You Knew is an Excellent Book!
I work for a pediatric therapy and autism services company called Achieve Beyond and we were looking for a book that be a good reference book to help us administer our developing autism program informational workshop in our Illinois branch. We came across this book entitled "Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew" because it was highly rated, had excellent customer reviews and came first in our search results on Amazon.com. The title sounded like the book would contain information that would be relevant to parents. This book not only provided vital information that families should know, but it also brings in many concepts that professionals in the business can digest as well.

The things we liked most about "Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew" was the personal but professional tone the book was written in and it's focus on sensory issues. The author Ellen Notbohm uses a positive and uplifting tone throughout the book that makes the readers like parents with autistic children to become personally vested in the book and allows for the concepts she is presenting to be easily digested. She addresses working with sensory issues and this happens to be one of the main components of our Illinois facility. We at Achieve Beyond also believe that finding the sensory issue plays a critical role in providing the correct therapy / services to the child. Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew" gave us fresh ideas on how to present this principal in our workshop to parents that would be attending. We also loved the sections on visual strategies for children to help them progress through the days. These ideas were extremely relevant and effective in autism treatment. Ten Things also addresses ways of speaking to autistic children, how to deal with child temper tantrums effectively and most importantly how to always maintain a positive outlook on life with an autistic child no matter how frustrated you can get at times.

"Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew" by Ellen Notbohm is an excellent book on Autism that parents, educators and therapists should seriously consider purchasing. It not only addresses physical actions that can be done with your child to help deal with autistic behaviors but it describes the mentality that is needed at the hardest time to help parents effectively deal with the frustrations and stress they may be experiencing.

Achieve Beyond: Pediatric Therapy and Autism Services
[...]
857 Center Court, Suite D
Shorewood, Illinois 60404

Mom of 3 boys diagnosed with PDD-Nos
This book touched my soul.It explained so many things about my children's behavior that I just didn't understand until now.I am so moved, I am buying additional copies of this book as end of year presents for my sons ABA teachers!I think a poster of the "Ten Things" should be up in every school in America! Can't wait to read more of Ellen's work.I highly recommend this book to everyone!

This Book Does Not Accurately Reflect Children with ASD
This book is very negative and uses extreme language to describe how children with ASD must be feeling.It was horribly troublesome for me to read.I worried that sounds were hurting my sons ears every time he covered them only to realize when he was older that he was just a bit anxious when he covered his ears.No sounds were bothering him!If you have a child with ASD, I think you will agree after you read this book.I think teachers and people that are not raising children with ASD would think this book is great because of all the stereotypical ideas it presents.Although the title says "Every Child Wants You To Know," I will tell you that my son would not describe himself at all the way this book does.I think it is a waste of time and money to be honest.I highly recommend Catherine Maurice's book, Behavioral Interventions For Young Children With Autism.Use your money to buy a book that gives actual solutions/ideas for helping your child develop functional communication and social skills.

Excellent Book
This book should also be called 10 things every person should know about Austic children, a definate must read!! I learned more from this little book than the countless others I have read. ... Read more

Product Description
Winner of Learning Magazine's Teachers Choice Award, the first edition of 1001 Great Ideas has been a treasured resource in the autism community since 2004. Now, in this expanded edition, Ellen Notbohm (best-selling author of the revolutionary book Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew) and Veronica Zysk (award-winning author and editor of Autism Asperger's Digest magazine) present parents and educators with over 1800 ideas try-it-now tips, eye-opening advice, and grassroots strategies. More than 600 fresh ideas join tried and true tactics from the original edition, while many ideas pick up where the first edition left off, offering modifications for older kids, honing in on Asperger's challenges, and enhancing already-effective ways to help your child or student achieve success at home, in school, and in the community.


Time is money ... and this book saves you both.

• Your one-stop-shop of solutions, explanations, and strategies. Quickly find ideas that speak to the variety of developmental levels, learning styles, and abilities inherent in children with autism and Asperger's.
  
• Autism publications can be pricey, and many times readers only come away with a few key points per resource. Ellen and Veronica have saved you thousands of hours and dollars, blending knowledge from the most credible experts with their own invaluable wealth of humor, common sense, and experience.
  

Customer Reviews (54)

Great book and would recommend it to anyone!
Great book full of tips and ideas for parents and/or any professional who has a child with autism, I have recently started looking after a child as respite for their mum and this book has all the useful information and great ideas anybody could need when raising a child on the autistic spectrum.

Good Resource
This book was very easy to read and had great ideas. Very teacher friendly and a good recommendation for others.

Bridget's Review

I think everyone should read this book so that they can understand the struggles that parents and children face. It has great ideas for teaching children with these conditions but a lot of the tips apply to people who deal with a child who has ADD or ADHD or just doesn't have the desire to learn. It's a big book but it doesn't take as long to read it as you would think.

Now it's my handbook
Excellent book with great ideas! I highly recommend it for families raising children with autism!

Must read for anyone working with children on the autism spectrum!
Great book with ideas, suggestions, interventions, and strategies for varying issues, behaviors, and quirks relative to children with autism spectrum disorders. Recommended read for anyone working with children on the spectrum, even those extremely familiar with autism (professionals), parents, and both general and special education teachers - there's guaranteed to be something in there you never thought of and is the "ah ha!" solution to helping a student, even students without autism! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (21)

The Age of Autism Mercury Medicine and the Man made Epidemic
The book was full of information about the role that Mercury plays in Autism.I meet the Author at a book tour stop and he explained even more.I thought that it was really informative to find out all about the original 11 children that were found to have Autism and where they are now.

Review, from a parent of a son with PDD-NOS
I was very impressed with this book and the contents. The research for this book was very impressive. My son was injured by a vaccine in 1994. The vaccine lot # was "contaminated" and according to VAERS, several other children also had brain injury and fell into the "autism " diagnosis, as my son did. My son was potty trained and fully verbal when his vaccine injury happened. I am so very disgusted by the great lengths the CDC, and all of the relavent agencies have failed us parents. Perhapps the profits are just way more important than the kids?
Thank you Dan Olmstead, and Mark Blaxill for all of your amazing research. This just confirms every thing I already knew about my own ordeal.
I am from New Jersey, and especially love the Brick, NJ information you provide. If I only knew about this...at that time, my son would be functioning normally.

Tragic, epic account of illnesses induced by mercury and man
The scope of this book extends well beyond the current autism controversy. David Kirby summed it up well, so I'm quoting him from the book's Forward:

"Mercury, they argue forcefully and convincingly, is found at the root of many 'plagues' of the industrialized world - from the 'lunacy' of Dickens's coal-choked England, to Freud's 'hysterical' Viennese women, to the collection of symptoms we now call autism spectrum disorders. In each case, the metal left behind its insidious footprints. Olmsted and Blaxill have done a masterful job of retracing these clues through an encyclopedic history of metal-induced madness....

...we may solve the mysteries lurking behind many modern-day sscourges, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Lou Gehrig's disease. Anyone concerned with environmental health owes it to him - or herself (and to the world) to read this revolutionary book."

Are we doomed to repeat this mistake?
I would give this book 2 or 3 additional stars for the extent of the research behind the work.I didn't know prior to reading ~The Age of Autism~ how wide-spread, but poorly charted, the history of mercury usage has been, even though I have spent much time in the past five+ years following this issue.

Olmsted and Blaxill pull together, possibly never-before-connected, aspects of the historical and continuing use of mercury to make a persuasive argument that much of the autism epidemic today is very likely another tragic chapter in the history of mercury usage.I believe a reader cannot come away from a thorough reading of this book without asking why warning signs were overlooked repeatedly to ultimately allow this substance to be increasingly injected in infant populations of the 90s, with exposure continuing even today.

The next question for many may well be whether the current epidemic numbers of other chronic immune and neurological illnesses/disabilities in our children and ourselves are at least in part due to the increased intentional exposure to this element through our "healthcare?"

A must-read
This is a must-read book for:
- Anyone who is convinced that mercury is not associated with autism, or that there is no autism epidemic, or that autism is purely genetic, or that autism has always been with us with a constant incidence rate, or that the science and medical professions are always observant and open-minded about potential iatrogenic diseases (i.e. caused by treatment)
- Anyone who is convinced that the above is not true
- Anyone who is interested in this topic
- Anyone who cares about children - their own or others - and the future of this country and the world

This is a very well-researched and well-written book. It goes into the history of multiple disorders, such as neuro-syphilis and General Paralysis of the Insane (GPI), and shows how it was almost certainly caused by the combination of the syphilis spirochete and mercuric chloride, which was in vogue as a medical treatment from the and of the 18th century until penicillin took over around 1940. Other disorders with either apparent or obvious and known connections to medical mercury include "hysteria", schizophrenia, and acrodynia (aka Pink disease). It moves on to autism, in detail, starting with the most detail ever published, as far as I can tell, about Kanner's initial 11 autism cases.

This is important even for people who think they don't care about it. The vast majority of current autistic individuals are under 16 years old now, and the oldest of this huge wave are just starting to be of the age where they would normally be living independently & working. Many will not be able to, and it will be a huge burden for us all.

This book is not at all about treatments for autism. Those are covered well in many other books.

The authors carefully footnote all the facts cited, using original references. Those who doubt these facts can check the references. The book is objective and written with an open mind, as you will see when you read it. The authors do have opinions, and they state clearly what their opinions are, and which statements constitute their opinions. Anyone who thinks the book is "nonsense", "complete crap", "quackery" or "propaganda" should actually read it and try to find something in it that's not correct. I doubt they can.

By the way - the word "quack" comes from dentists who, in the early 19th century, started to use "quacksilver", i.e. mercury, in fillings, and other dentists and doctors who recognized the dangers of mercury called them "quacks". Ironic, isn't it, that today those who warn us of the dangers of mercury, one of the most toxic substances on the planet, are called "quacks".

This book is a wonderful combination of history, perspective, bibliography, and moving personal stories. And, it is a call to action to find out what is the cause - or what are the causes - of the present autism epidemic, and to prevent it from continuing. ... Read more

Product Description
Winner of the 2005 Autism Society of America's Outstanding Literary Work of the Year Award

Based on the author's personal and professional experiences, this comprehensive and accessible source covers all aspects of autism conditions, including Asperger's Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (36)

Might be a good starting point....
Personally, I didn't find the book helpful, but it has reasonably good general information about the spectrum.The book would probably be a good instruction manual for someone who is wealthy and lives in a state/county that believes in providing adequate care to these children; however, for someone in the trenches, it lacks practical advice.

Doesn't Apply to me
I suppose this is a good book for parents of children with autism. My child has a speech delay and I was wondering if there was a possibility he could have autism. The only thing this book did was pretty much confirm that my son does not have the disorder. The only reason I am giving it 2 stars is because the content doesn't apply to me. I was sort of hoping for more symptoms/stories about children diagnosed with ASD and less information on how to get help, etc...Otherwise, I suppose it deserves more stars if it was more applicable to me. Also, I've done so much research on my own about the subject, that the first half of the book was information I was already familiar with, so that was disappointing. In fact, I had to skip through much of it because it was redundant, but if you don't much about the disorder, then this book is a good resource.

great book
Understanding your child's challenges and special gifts can help your child be the best they can be
A Moment of Peace: Relaxation for Parents AudiobookA Moment of Peace: Relaxation for Children

Excellent!
If you're looking for a single book that encompases all the significant information relating to ASDs, this is the book for you. I liked it because the author lists any resources related to a particular topic in that section. There's no searching through the back of the book to find what you need. I would suggest that any professional working with students/children with Autism pick up a copy.

not helpful to us but could be for others
This book was not especially helpful in our case as it caters especially to autism and if you have a child with another special needs diagnosis it will not be very helpful to you. ... Read more

Product Description
The Autism Acceptance Book is an interactive, educational, and character-building book that introduces children to the challenges faced by people with autism while also supporting their personal journey toward appreciating and respecting people's differences.
This book offers educational information, conversation-starters, and engaging exercises that invite childrento "walk in someone else's shoes" as they learn to treat others the same ways they would like to be treated themselves. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

great book
Understanding your child's challenges and special gifts can help your child be the best they can be
A Moment of Peace: Relaxation for Parents AudiobookA Moment of Peace: Relaxation for Children

great for teachers
I purchased this book for a children's book review for a special-education class.The book would be perfect for gen-ed teachers of grades k-4.It is a step-by-step guide for children to learn about new students joining their class that have Autism.It is a workbook (students can write in the book, there are places for pictures and a journal area) for students that teaches acceptance.

Very well written.
This book not only helped my daughter come to terms with her Aspergers diagnosis positively, it helped her better understand her autistic little brother.She now views her Aspergers as the asset that it is, rather than a weakness.Bravo to the authors of this book!Well done!

Valuable "walk in their shoes" book
This is an excellent book to present to a classroom to help the students understand the persepctive and behavior of a peer who has autism.It raised many good questions from the students, and increased their understanding and tolerance of their peer's differences.

Autism for kids
Book is good.It seems appropriate for kids who are in kindergarten or older. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (32)

Engaging Autism: Helping Children Relate, Communicate and Think with the DIR Floortime Approach
I was looking for a good book in this category, and this book was recommended by my professor.The approach seems to be very holistic, and help individuals in a humanly manner, with dignity and respect.It also explains why we behave the way we do.Fascinating.

Great Help
The book was recommended by the speech therapist of my daughter, who has high functional autism. The book describes the developmental stages of communication skills and how one can help a person to improve them. After reading the book, I feel energized and more confident that I can help my daughter in her struggle to "connect" with the world. I would recommend to adults who want to better "connect" with individuals that have atypical communication skills.

Quick Results from Strategies in this Book
I have a high functioning son on the spectrum. He is currently in speech therapy with another kiddo on the spectrum working on conversational speech and higher level thinking. He didn't understand cause an effect very well...difficulty with why and how. I used the strategies in this book and questioned everything he did in a playful way. After 2 weeks he was able to answer why questions 90% of the time and the rest of the time he would answer like any typical kiddo with an answer that didn't quite make sense ;) One week later he was giving me multiple answers for the why questions (2-3) spontaneously without me even prompting additional answers.

I have seen my kid expand his vocabulary and communication with me, his peers and others over the last 6 months with once weekly speech therapy. But as soon as I implemented these techniques in our everyday life his progress grew significantly.

I like that this book has techniques for different levels on the spectrum. A very good read and well worth the money! I haven't read alot of books yet as my kid has been recently diagnosed but this is one that I would recommend highly.

Words of hope
This book was given to me after my daughter was diagnosed with autism (among other things) and I was told that there was no hope for progression.The first thing that I discovered in reading the book is that my daughter does NOT have autism.How autism should be diagnosed and the mistakes that are often made in diagnosing were enlighting and I only wish I had read the book before I paid lots of money for a wrong diagnosis.The second thing that I learned is that there is ALWAYS hope regardless of the diagnosis.As far as the DIR/Floortime approach, I think that it would help any child (developmental problems or not) become happy and emotionally stable and reach his/her full potential.I implemented just a few of the principles as I was reading and saw immediate results.I plan to implement much more.The book is great - not only does it give you a plan, but it offers real hope.

Floortime & ABA
I am very interested in getting this book and more information on the therapy but we are currently using ABA therapy with our son. Can we combine both approaches by using floortime at home in the evenings and weekends and have the ABA therapy done at preschool (9-5pm)??

It seems like we could get the best of both worlds.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (24)

10 Things Your Student With ASD Wishes You Knew
I ordered this book for a book study I'm a part of this summer.The reading, though very informative (writtten by a Mom who has a son with ASD), is not written in a "textbook" style.It's written with love and humor.The basic premise of the book is that children are just that, children first - then children with ASD.The team approach is not only suggested but advocated.It's a book I will keep as "reference" as I begin working with more children on "the Autism spectrum".If you are a teacher, school paraprofessional, or volunteer, I highly recommend it.An informative read.

great book
Understanding your child's challenges and special gifts can help your child be the best they can be
A Moment of Peace: Relaxation for Parents AudiobookA Moment of Peace: Relaxation for Children

Excellent Mind-Openers
As a Special Education Teacher new to Autism I found this book a great mind saver.It reminds us to NOT takes things personal with our students with ASD.I have posted the 10 things in my classroom for all who work with my students.
This is something that should be handed out before the first paycheck to anyone working with students with ASD, written from the students' point of view.
THANK YOU!!

A MUST HAVE FOR EVERY SCHOOL
I have given this book to EVERY teacher who has called me about a problem they are having with my child.I can explain to them why my child is doing the things she is doing but it is much easier for them to get the whole picture. While I had to learn by trail in error this saves them from doing things that will trigger a problem. I believe EVERY teacher should read this book,wheather they are teaching special ed or not, because at some point in their career they WILL come across a student that will wind up teaching them a thing or two.

Autism/Asperger
This is a very informative, easy to read book. I think all teachers (and parents) with Autistic/Aspergers kids should be required to read this!! ... Read more

Product Description
Award-winning autism expert Chantal Sicile-Kira presents a positive and empowering “bill of rights” for every person with autism.

From an award-winning author and advocate, Autism Life Skills presents a positive and empowering "bill of rights" for every person with autism, regardless of impairment level. With advice and reflections from autistic adults across the spectrum, as well as Sicile-Kira's own experience as an advocate and parent of an autistic teen, the book covers these ten essential life skills:

Making Sense of the World * Communication * Safety * Self-Esteem * Pursuing Interests * Self-Regulation * Independence * Social Relationships * Self- Advocacy *Earning a Living

Whether your child or student has Asperger's or is on the more severely impaired end of the autism spectrum, this action-oriented guide will provide hope and help -- so that every child has a chance to reach his or her full potential. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Autism Life Skills
Over the last five years, I have been trying to find out as much as I can about autism,hoping to find something to help my grandson. Many articles, books etc. say autism is a spectrum disorder and each person is different. This book, for the first time, explained to me what problems autistic indivduals have- regardless of their position on the spectrum.
Once you understand the "why" behind their behaviors, it becomes much easier to work with them.
The author addresses those on all parts of the spectrum and gives many practical tips. She uses input from many austistic people as well as her own experience as a parent of an autistic child.
This is the best book I've read on the subject. I highly recommend it.

If You Really Want to Know About Autism...
...then talk to somebody who is on the autism/Asperger's (a/A) spectrum!A mistake that many neurotypicals (NT) make is to speak for people with autism and to speculate about a condition that they [NT] don't have.

What I liked about this particular book is that it does offer insight from the perspective of people who have autism.Good guidelines for instruction in various safety and personal matters are included.It is an empowering book that is bound to bolster self confidence for all on the spectrum and those interested in learning about autism.

Life Lessons...Life Skills. Autism
As I began my journey through the world of special education this was a great book to turn to for insight and information. It was very candid. Easy to read. Easy to understand. I feel that it is a must read for any student planning on teaching special ed. and any parent, whether the parent of an ASD child or not. It has great, every day skills needed to make it through the world. I think it is sad, that we need parenting books like this but it is definitely a product of our making. I think personally we all need to slow down a bit and pay attention to our children; I think this book gives some real practical every day solutions, in black and white, for a parent or student of any ability to read and comprehend.

Sophy Chaffee
By interviewing adults with autism about what essential skills they feel are important to develop, Chantal provides invaluable insights for parents and professionals. Her advice is practical. Her understanding of autistic people is remarkably respectful. Her tips can be put into practice right away, no matter the age of the person on the spectrum. Who knew that teaching a child to order at a restaurant could carry over to more fundamental life lessons?! She includes suggestions from a wide range of experts, as well as drawing from her personal experience.This is a great resource!

A must-read for anyone dealing with or interested in learning about autism
All of Chantal Sicile-Kira's books are valuable resources for anyone impacted by autism (or seeking to better understand it), but "Autism Life Skills" is an especially exciting addition. As our population of autism-spectrum kids grows older, becoming teens and young adults, autism awareness is becoming a necessity. For those on the spectrum, it is so important to have the tools to better achieve communication, self-advocacy, and independence. Clear, direct, and filled with invaluable tips and insights, "Life Skills" provides all of the above. ... Read more

Product Description
New information, therapies, and advice for every parent with an autistic child.For parents of children with autism, research is a full-time job. For parents with limited time, ability, or resources to do this, Ken Siri and Tony Lyons have compiled the latest in autism theory, research, and treatment. Cutting-Edge Therapies for Autism contains contributions from more than eighty experts on a variety of therapies, models, and multifaceted evaluation and treatment centers. Each contributor gives the reader a basic description of the topic, including its scientific rationale, development, risks, and benefits. Siri and Lyons include the therapies of the future, focusing on current clinical trials, ongoing research, and the researchers striving to better understand autism and find new treatments.

Contributions include:

• Dr. James Adams on chelation
• Dr. Jeffrey Becker on vision therapy
• Dr. Marvin Boris on allergies
• Dr. Charles Chapple on CST
• Ms. Judy Chinitz on parasites
• Ms. Jenifer Clark on ABA and the future
• Ms. Meghan Collins on physical therapy
• Ms. Dorinne Davis on sound therapies
• Dr. Michael Elice on IVIG and PPAR agonists
• Dr. Alessio Fasano on probiotics
• Dr. Mark Freilich on psychopharmacology
• Dr. Richard E. Frye on mitochondrial dysfunction and AEDs
• Dr. Michael Goldberg on neuroimmune dysfunction
• Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh on CARD
• Dr. Lester Grinspoon on marijuana
• Dr. D. Grodberg, Dr. A. Kolevzon, & Dr. J. Buxbaum on the Seaver Autism Center
• Ms. Valerie Herskowitz on technology
• Dr. Devin Houston on enzymes
• Ms. Cindy Griffin and Ms. Lindyl Lanham on homeopathy
• Dr. James E. Jan on melatonin
• Mr. Markus Jarrow on OT/SIT
• Dr. Betty Jarusiewicz on neurofeedback
• Mr. Raun Kaufman on Son-Rise
• Dr. Arthur Krigsman on GI disease
• Ms. Mariah LeFeber on dance/movement
• Dr. Jaquelyn McCandless on LDN
• Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona on traditional healing and antifungals
• Dr. Frank Morales on stem cells
• Dr. James Neubrander on MB12 and HBOT
• Ms. Lavinia Pereira and Ms. Michelle Solomon on speech
• Dr. Sally Rogers on the Denver Model
• Dr. Harry Schneider on restoring language
• Ms. Karyn Seroussi & Lisa S. Lewis, PhD, on diets
• Dr. Louisa Silva on massage
• Dr. Fred Starr on Respen-A
• Dr. Theoharis Theoharides on novel therapies
• Dr. Lauren Tobing-Puente on parenting
• Dr. Gil Tippy on DIR/Floortime
• Ms. Ginny Van Rie & Dr. Juane Heflin on sensory therapy
• Dr. Amy Yasko on nutrigenomics

Customer Reviews (7)

LOVE this book!
Includes lots of great info about the ideas circulating in Autism treatments, and it is all in 1 book.Liked the convenience of looking things up.NICE!

A 'must' for any collection serious about autism management and medical issues
Cutting-Edge Therapies for Autism 2010-2011 comes from two parents who review the latest cutting-edge therapies and comes from parents who have done research for their own children's needs. It offers a range of coping techniques and therapies ranging form animal-assisted therapy to art therapy and play therapy, and offers articles from more than eighty experts on different treatment options. A 'must' for any collection serious about autism management and medical issues, especially those catering to parents.

Cutting-Edge Therapies for Autism 2010-2011
Cutting-Edge Therapies for Autism 2010-2011 is sort of like a magazine and an almanac and an encyclopedia and a Clif notes all wrapped up together in a hefty 511 page paperback book that introduces readers to almost all things autism. Siri and Lyons have compiled articles by the professionals with experience in the trenches, and I recognize many of the names because I've seen them present in person. The book covers developmental issues, sensory issues, educational strategies, biomedical treatments, alternative/complimentary medicine treatments, and much more.

The behaviors that add up to what we label "autism" have different roots in different individuals. Parents of children on the autism spectrum have to wade through ALL of the information with their doctors to find the pieces relevent to each individual child. This book is a really nice resource for helping us begin to wade through information. I consider it a *starting point* for research on one of the topics inside. Does it mention everything? No. It's still an excellent resource - even if it is missing some topics that I consider important.

I don't think any book could include every intervention or therapy because the book would be too big. This one covers a LOT of intervention material. What's it missing? I can tell you that I don't see Dr James MacDonald and Communicating Partners inside, although other developmental therapies are included (RDI; Son Rise; DIR; HANDLE), and I don't see Miller Method; or any of the work being done with The Importance of Reflexes in Developmental Delays by Sally Goddard - and as I dig deeper into developmental approaches, those are important in my opinion.she'd be an excellent choice for a contributor to a book like this one. I'd like to see a chapter on Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment. I'd like to see information on LDA immunotherapy. And I don't see a chapter on defining, diagnosing, and treating PANDAS, although I see it mentioned in at least one chapter.

The lack of an index keeps me from being able to reference subjects from the back of the book, which is an annoyance to me. I would appreciate the addition of an index on-line so that I could reference topics that way. I also have some suggestions for material for the next edition.Cutting-Edge Therapies for Autism 2010-2011 is an excellent book to have as one resource for families who have a member with an autism diagnosis.

Very comprehensive
Thank you!!!There is so much information out there about autism (and sadly, still so much we still don't know) that this compendium is an absolute gift from Heaven.I am one year in from my daughter's diagnosis of autism.She is now 4 years old and we are very much in the thick of things regarding treatment options and therapies.This book has been great about including just about every methodological treatment and approach (that is, both biomedical and traditional therapies) used to treat Autism Spectrum Disorders today.They talk about ABA therapy, special diets like gluten-free casein-free diets, floortime, aquatic therapy, chelation, Son-Rise, occupational therapy, marijuana, parasites, physical therapy, and much more.(Can you tell that this really runs the gamut of possibilities?)

The authors cut through autism politics by allowing practitioners of these therapies to present their approach in their own words.The book is arranged with each treatment having a single essay/article ranging anywhere from 2 to 8 pages compiled in alphabetical order.This may be unhelpful to some parents first investigating autism treatments simply because there is no overall voice telling them which treatments are more effective, widespread, researched, or recommended.There is also no voice to counter any one of these treatments by describing any dangers or adverse effects, relying on the contributors to critique their own approaches.Clearly, there can be a downside to this.But I believe that Siri and Lyons calculated that it was more important to avoid the controversies and politics so common in autism circles which can sink any autism treatment book from the beginning.Instead, they felt that parents were better served by having the compendium with comprehensive information in a single place.Think of this book as a starting point for investigation.When an approach seems worth investigating, do further research on that approach than what is found in the book.

The only other possible criticism I have is about the contributors themselves.In some instances, a therapeutic approach is described by a founder or key practitioner of that particular approach.Some articles are authored simply by a certified therapist.But a problem with either of these is that while the therapeutic approach may be very highly recommended, the author may not have adequately explained its methodology, may not fully engage the reader, or poorly represent its benefits and/or shortcomings.In essence, it may be that a certified practitioner or even the founder of a methodology is not the best salesman for that same methodology.I found some of the essays were more compelling or more accessible/easily readable than others.I urge that readers keep this in mind when reading this book--try to glean the information and not necessarily reject an article because it may not have been the most effective author who wrote it.For instance, I personally found the ABA therapy article a bit boring -- though ABA is the most widely recommended approach and we've had much success with it for our daughter.On the other hand, I found the marijuana article very compelling, but I am unsure about whether or not it is appropriate for my own daughter.

I am so grateful that this book is available.The sheer volume of information out there is overwhelming.Siri and Lyons have done a tremendous service for parents like me.

A comprehensive, unbiased collection of therapy overviews
Please note: I got this book for free because I'm a parenting author. I also have a nephew who is autistic, so I am very interested in the latest in spectrum disorder therapies. I have been plowing through this book for the past few days, and I find it to be very useful, unbiased and helpful for anyone who is trying to sort out the many different therapies currently available for kids on the autism spectrum. I find myself reading aloud information to my family, from statistics to insights we weren't aware of before I read the book. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to learn all there is to know about therapies, ranging from the obscure to the scientifically proven. ... Read more

Product Description

A London researcher was the first to assert that the combination measles-mumps-rubella vaccine known as MMR caused autism in children. Following this "discovery," a handful of parents declared that a mercury-containing preservative in several vaccines was responsible for the disease. If mercury caused autism, they reasoned, eliminating it from a child's system should treat the disorder. Consequently, a number of untested alternative therapies arose, and, most tragically, in one such treatment, a doctor injected a five-year-old autistic boy with a chemical in an effort to cleanse him of mercury, which stopped his heart instead.

Children with autism have been placed on stringent diets, subjected to high-temperature saunas, bathed in magnetic clay, asked to swallow digestive enzymes and activated charcoal, and injected with various combinations of vitamins, minerals, and acids. Instead of helping, these therapies can hurt those who are most vulnerable, and particularly in the case of autism, they undermine childhood vaccination programs that have saved millions of lives. An overwhelming body of scientific evidence clearly shows that childhood vaccines are safe and does not cause autism. Yet widespread fear of vaccines on the part of parents persists.

In this book, Paul A. Offit, a national expert on vaccines, challenges the modern-day false prophets who have so egregiously misled the public and exposes the opportunism of the lawyers, journalists, celebrities, and politicians who support them. Offit recounts the history of autism research and the exploitation of this tragic condition by advocates and zealots. He considers the manipulation of science in the popular media and the courtroom, and he explores why society is susceptible to the bad science and risky therapies put forward by many antivaccination activists.

Customer Reviews (114)

Offit bends over backwards to be fair, which his opponents don't
One thing I found quite striking as I read Dr. Offit's book was what lengths he went to to be fair.Most people who write a book to put forth their point of view will write as if their point of view is the only one an intelligent person could subscribe to.By contrast, Offit starts off discussion of just about every point by showing why his opponents' case would look quite convincing, IF you looked at only part of the evidence.Then he shows you the REST of the evidence, and when you see the complete picture, you see that it supports Offit's conclusions, not those of his opponents.

Offit goes to lengths to make sure the reader understand that there are good-intentioned, honest, intelligent people standing on both sides of the issues -- even if only one side of the issue is correct, he makes sure we understand how someone can be good-intentioned and honest and intelligent and yet subscribe to a mistaken theory.(Of course, some who promote the mistaken theory that vaccines cause autism are NOT good-intentioned and honest; the top of the list must be now-delicensed-for-cause Andrew Wakefield, who made a big public splash about supposedly discovering a link between the MMR vaccine and autism, and concealed from the world the fact that his sample group was rigged, with all the individuals in the group directed to him by the lawyers who were paying Wakefield to concoct evidence that could be used in their lawsuit.Offit does not pull any punches with Wakefield, or others who commit similar offenses; he lays out the facts that reveal their dishonesty.)

Offit's choice to show just how complex the issue is, and how people can be divided on the issue even if they're good people, is to his credibility and his credit.By contrast, many of his detractors implicitly or even explicitly claim that anyone who does not subscribe to whatever variation of the vaccines-cause-autism idea is now in vogue must be stupid/dishonest/corrupt.This is a child's understanding of the world:Me = Good and Correct; Disagrees With Me = Wrong and Evil.Needless to say, it's not as convincing as Dr. Offit's calm, clear, fair explanations of the issues.

Fabulous...A must read
This book gives you the facts, not the hyperbole.

An excellent read for people looking for the truth about the anti-vac movement.

A Rip Off!
I started to read this book, but couldn't stomach it. This man has never treated a child with autism in his life. What he does for a living is to develop vaccines. He has become the spokesmodel for the vaccine industry, and has become a very wealthy man from this profession. He is a blatant liar, and the worst part is that he lies to make himself rich. I would feel bad for a parent of a newly diganosed child to happen upon this book. There are many children that are making great improvements on the very therapies that Offit bashes. Go to the Autism Research Institute [...] for information that can really help your child, and skip this book altogher!

Just what the public WANTS to hear.
Go figure.A man paid by the pharmaceuticals writes a book spouting how "safe" vaccines are, ignoring the glaring facts in front of him and all the world, that vaccines have never eradicated one single disease, the rise in autism and ADHD have gone right with the rise in amount of vaccines AND Thimerosal introduced to children.Where there is little or no vaccines, low and behold there is a glaring dip in (in fact, mostly non-existent in the unvaccinated) the autism rates. It doesn't take a scientist to understand the connection.

The general populace doesn't want to know our medical system is corrupt, but they need to look at the top: the drug companies whose only thought is to their profit.Offit is happily helping them to profit.Meanwhile the unsuspecting billions are being forced into willing vaccines without really knowing they are consigning their lives and that of their children to disease and ill health.Drug companies are raking in the profits.

The junk science and bad medicine is from the current medical system, not those who are opting for health and refusing to poison our bodies and children with Thimerosal which is ironically banned for use in animals, but forced upon unsuspecting human victims.Maybe "University of Google" is the healthier way to go.

Amazing to note children who are unvaccinated don't suffer the chronic ear infections (most never suffer one infection) and get over colds without use of prescription meds.

A much needed read, not to be missed
Autism is a debate that has plenty of bad information flying around. "Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and The Search for a Cure" discusses autism and how bad information is leading to a generation of misinformed parents who don't understand their own children's problems and underestimating (or overestimating) their children's potential. Seeking to help readers realize the truth about Autism, "Autism's False Prophets" is a much needed read, not to be missed. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (61)

Easy to read with plenty of recipes!
The icons that go along with the recipes to tell you what kind of food groups are included in the recipes makes it much easier to discern between items that may cause allergic reactions to those that have allergies/aversions to an item.Easy to read and follow along.

Great book
Love all the in depth information in the beginning of the book! Who knew that vinegar and artificial flavor have gluten?There are so many similar useful pieces of information. I have not gotten to the recipes yet because I am reading 4 books at one time! But this book is excellent so far. They leave no stone unturned and if you are trying to seriously follow a GF/CF diet, it is essential to have all the facts.

Questionable Science, Questionable References
1.The initial part of the book, devoted to the "science" of nutrition and ADHD, is not footnoted or referenced.Where did this information come from, and who did the relevant studies?
2.In the bibliography, Dr. Compart references Russell Barkley's Taking Charge of ADHD.In that book Dr. Barkley refutes any connection between diet and ADHD.He writes, "We have wasted enough valuable scientific time, resources, money, and manhours investigating unfounded claims about diet that could have been better spent pursuing more promising lines of scientific inquiry on ADHD." Why did she reference a book that contradicts her own work?
3.At the end of the book, Dr. Compart's co-author, Dana Laake, writes a glowing endorsement of Dr. Jeffrey Bland, who is touted as a leader in nutritional biochemistry.According to [...], since 1991 the FTC and the FDA have cited Dr. Bland (or companies he has been associated with) for making unsubstantiated claims for weight loss products and "medical foods."

Try my child on Dr. Compart's diet?I think not.

Exactly what I was looking for
This book is perfect for my family's needs!We recently had to go on an elimination diet and I was struggling to find recipes my son could eat!The recipes in this book are great.There is a wide variety and each one includes descriptions and/or explanations of ingredients.Tips for "hiding" added nutrients into meals for picky eaters are also added.The first portion of the book contains an extremely helpful and informative discussion of a multitude of dietary sensitivities, intolerances, and allergies in an easy to read way.There is an ingredient key at the top of each recipe with images of the common allergenic ingredients that are contained or not contained in the recipe.So, at a glance, you can see whether a recipe is one you can use or need to modify.Well written and put together, excellent cookbook!

good suggestions for hiding nutrition in kid food
The gluten free, casein free diet didn't work for my son and it was very expensive to follow, but at least I learned how to use more vegetables in my cooking.Next time I'll get "Deceptively Delicious" for more healthy kid-friendly recipes. ... Read more

Product Description
With clarity and compassion, Dr. Robert Sears guides the reader through the maze of autism, explaining what precautions parents can take to decrease their baby's risk, how to detect autism at the earliest possible age, and how to proceed once a diagnosis has been made. The book provides parents with a simple and clear understanding of the biomedical treatment approach that Dr. Sears has used successfully with many of his young patients. It lays out a plan for developmental, behavioral, and learning therapies; shows parents how to begin treatments without a doctor's help; presents information on vaccines and their safe use; and includes an extensive resources section. THE AUTISM BOOK provides all the information and reassurance parents need. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Beginning Our Journey
We are patients of Dr. Bob and are just beginning our journey through the world of Autism.I devoured Dr. Bob's book as a means to try and understand what this means for our child and our family.Primarily what I was looking for while reading the book was, "What can we do to help our child?"This book gave me so many answers and so much hope.There are things we can do for our child and we are now finally on our way.

This book is such a valuable resource to parents, grandparents, teachers, etc. as they begin to navigate this new world.I found it immensely helpful to have read through the book prior to our initial appointment so that I had some familiarity with the language of Autism and could understand what was being discussed.It was great to be able to do my research in the quiet of my own home.

I appreciated how the book gave some possible reasons why Autism is so prevalent and what may be causing this epidemic.Reading through those sections allowed me to see my child in some of the theories, which is helping us direct which biomedical tests need to be done which will in turn steer our treatment plan.

I have already dog-eared and highlighted my book like crazy and know that it will continue to be a permanent fixture on my shelf as I refer back to it often.

Thanks Dr Bob
Dr Bob is that rare pediatrician that listens the parents, takes his time and comes up with solutions. We are grateful for his consolidated book for parents that will help them understand that autism is treatable at the BEGINNING of their journey. I hope families utilize this tool with clear explainations and backed up by science as a tool to begin the treatments with their physician.

What this means for the autism community...
This is an important book.It's going to affect how mainstream medicine handles autism.It's written by a prominent pediatrician who's well-respected AND..., has years of experience treating and recovering autistic children.While doctors typically hand parents a diagnosis of autism and tell them that medicine knows nothing about autism except that vaccines don't cause it, Sears offers help and hope.He also has not closed the door to a link with the vaccine program.He clearly states this in this book.
Ex. "Sears continues to address this issue saying, 'There are cases in which a severe reaction to a round of vaccines seems to have triggered a decline into autism.'"(p. 339)
Most important of all is the information about ways to treat and recover autistic kids.I can see thousands of parents going to their pediatricians with Sears's book in hand, asking for these treatments for their children.US News and World Report, ABC [...], Newsweek Magazine, OC Register, Web MD, [...], and various parenting magazines have already covered Dr. Sears.
(See the recent interview on KVUE-TV Austin, TX: [...])
Doctors who educate themselves on these protocols will be the ones with patients. For parents who feel that the medical community has given up on autistic kids, this book is a welcome change!
SEE--Dr. Bob Sears's The Autism Book Brings Early Detection, Treatment, Recovery and Prevention To Light By Anne Dachel [...]

Anne Dachel
Media editor: Age of Autism

The Autism Book
As a pediatrician who cares for hundreds of autistic children, I am constantly monitoring new books on the subject.Parents with newly diagnosed toddlers as well as those with adolescents and young adults will frequently ask me about the latest publications.It is the rare book that appeals to all of us - practitioners and families, both novice and experienced. Dr. Sears' "The Autism Book" fits perfectly in this sweet spot.Providing up-to-date commentary and practical advice on all aspects of diagnosing and treating autism, this book is a must-read for all interested in what we can do - today - to help the growing number of children with autism spectrum disorders.The book supports an integrative approach - combining the best of conventional and alternative/complementary medical therapies - in a non judgmental manner quite refreshing and honest.There is something in this book for everyone, and I highly recommend it.
- Lawrence D. Rosen, MD, Founder of the Whole Child Center ([...])

Spectacular resource for parents and physicians
This is an excellent book!It is very well organized and easy to read, providing a clear set of steps for parents and physicians to take when treating a child with autism.Dr. Bob Sears includes a fabulous overview of what is currently known in the world of mainstream medical science regarding possible causes and treatments for autism, with numerous detailed citations and an excellent reference at the back of the book.He then goes on to describe what is known in the biomedical world (again with full citations and references), and provides very convincing evidence that there are many non-drug treatments that can be highly effective in reducing the symptoms of autism, sometimes to the extent that a patient would no longer qualify for a diagnosis of autism at all.I find this book to be incredibly convincing due to the extent to which all of the information presented is carefully documented and organized, but also because of my own personal experience with researching autism over the past few months.

I am a PhD Statistician, and I have a 14 month old son who was showing many of the early warning signs for autism until a few weeks ago when we accidentally discovered that he has an allergy to dairy.We had initiated early intervention services for him and the simple methods that they suggested to increase interactions and gain more eye contact during the day were just fabulous.But it turns out dairy products were having a severe impact on his desire to make eye contact and interact with us, and the improvement was obvious within days of removing all dairy from his diet.Taking him off of dairy also cured the chronic constipation that he had been experiencing since he was just a few weeks old, and he suddenly began to sleep for hours in a stretch for the first time in his life. Within just three weeks he was sharing objects with us for the first time, beginning to respond to his name, beginning to imitate sounds, using some simple words, following our gaze and looking when we would point, and finally he was pointing to share his own interest.Re-challenging with dairy (1/4 cup yogurt daily for three days) caused the constipation to return, his sleep patterns to fall apart again, and he began making less and less eye-contact and was no longer interested in playing interactive games.The dairy challenge also caused him to lose the eight words that he had learned during the three week non-dairy period, which he then slowly re-learned one-by-one over the following three weeks (in fact each of his words sounds a little different now than they did the first time he learned them).

What really strikes me is that in my hours and hours of research into what was known in the medical community about the causes and treatments of autism, I never once came across what appeared to be a reliable source instructing me to try taking my son off of dairy.So when I accidentally discovered the link between my son's dairy allergy and autistic behaviors I wondered if this connection had been documented in other children.Once I began to search online (I like PubMed.org) for the words "dairy and autism", I suddenly discovered a whole new world of information that I had somehow missed in all of my earlier research.It turns out that this connection is VERY well known in the biomedical community, and there are currently many studies in the works to examine the link between the popular Gluten-Free Casein-Free (GFCF) diet in the treatment of autism (casein is a protein in milk).

When I found out that Dr. Bob Sears (son of Dr. William Sears) was going to be publishing "The Autism Book" this month, I pre-ordered it on Amazon and waited anxiously to see what kinds of things he might have to say about the issue.Lo and behold, eliminating dairy is one of the very first steps that he recommends (after initiating intensive early intervention therapies, of course).I was impressed, and I am anxious to try some of the simple guidelines that he recommends, such as using a multivitamin and supplementing with cod liver oil and probiotics.I also plan to investigate intestinal yeast as a possible issue for my own son based on Dr. Sears' suggestions, since he has had problems with yeast in the past.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a child showing symptoms of autism who would like to learn more about possible treatments, and I also hope that many practicing physicians will take a look at the research presented here and perhaps implement some of the safe and potentially highly effective treatments with their own patients.

As an aside, readers of this review may be interested in viewing the "PARENT RATINGS OF BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF BIOMEDICAL INTERVENTIONS" data that was obtained by the Autism Research Institute:[...] ... Read more

Product Description
A resource of fun games for parents or teachers to help young children learn social and motor skills

Barbara Sher, an expert occupational therapist and teacher, has written a handy resource filled with games to play with young children who have Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or other sensory processing disorders (SPD). The games are designed to help children feel comfortable in social situations and teach other basic lessons including beginning and end, spatial relationships, hand-eye coordination, and more. Games can also be used in regular classrooms to encourage inclusion.

• A collection of fun, simple games that can improve the lives of children with ASD or other SPDs.
• Games can be played by parents or teachers and with individual children or groups.
• Games are designed to make children more comfortable in social situations and to develop motor and language skills
• Also included are a variety of interactive games to play in water, whether in a backyard kiddie pool, community swimming pool, or lake
• All the games are easy-to-do, utilizing common, inexpensive materials, and include several variations and modifications

Customer Reviews (7)

A treasure trove of ideas for parents, caregivers, therapists and educators; for Early Intervention and beyond
This book covers both ASDs and Sensory Disorders, with a good section explaining how these affect children, which can be very helpful in demystifying the behaviors of children with these issues (especially important for parents like myself, who are new to this subject, with kids who are newly diagnosed or just getting diagnosed!); and this section is followed by a wealth of suggestions for activities to help kids who are affected by these issues reach their potential -- not only in overcoming these specific issues, but also in gaining social skills.

Included with the activities are suggestions for ways to modify them for single children or groups, or for children with specific preferences or quirks; and reading through this book will no doubt serve to inspire ideas for many other activities or modifications as well.

I would also like to note that, in my opinion, the title of this book does not do it justice, because "Early Intervention" implies (to me, at least) that the activities here are only for children under the age of 3-4; which is definitely not the case. Using the ideas presented here in group situations, many of these activities could continue to be enjoyable for several years beyond that age range, as a means of helping kids (particularly those with ASDs) gain or improve turn-taking, sharing and other social skills.

It is my opinion that parents, caregivers, therapists and educators can ALL benefit from this book, whether they are new to this area of study, or have years of experience; and it would be a valuable addition to any of their bookshelves, one that is sure to remain handy for years to come.

Early Intervention Games--recommended for non-therapists too
This book is a great resource for professionals who work with you children identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Sensory Processing Disorder.The author describes her orientation to working with children without focusing on the "disorders".I read the book as a former children's developmental intervention program coordinator and social worker.Ms. Sher's approach shares social work values of a strengths perspective and person-in-environment approach.She looks at the children's strengths and interests and engages children in their peer environment.
I re-read the book from the point of view of a former pre-school teacher, parent and current grandparent.I have highlighted activities for purposeful fun and skill development with my two developmentally normal preschool-aged grandchildren.
The first two chapters should be required reading for any professionals who work young children with an exceptionality diagnosis.Also, parents of a diagnosed child would find comfort and good philosophical modeling by identifying with the author's understanding and insights into the child's perceptual world.

Games Lady Strikes Yet Again...Games Games and more Games!
Barbara has yet again come through with the goods. This new book is easy to read and full of fun ideas to help motivate children to want to learn. Already I have read the book cover to cover and am putting these ideas and games into practice. Motivation and maintaining motivation across the day with little ones can be hard, but thanks to this book and all these game ideas included in it - this job is a little easier! A must read for all working in this area! Thanks Barbara ;O)

Simone Griffin
Speech-Language Pathologist
Author of 'Motivate to Communicate: 300 Games and Activities for Your Child with Autism'
Motivate to Communicate!: 300 Games and Activities for Your Child With Autism

A resourceful book!
Barbara Sher finds ways to enhance and encourage the development of all children with fun and comfort in mind.Many of the parents who come to our Child Disability Resource Center continue to use this as a manual for having fun, connecting with our children and encouraging my child's development.No fuss, no complicated language, it's perfect.

Another Classic Collection of Joyful Games
My wife and I work for the Early Childhood Special Education Program and we use all the games in Barbara's bookwith our students with special needs. The great thing about this book, is that there are so many fun and creative games to choose that can integrate building socials skills while developing the student's speech, gross or fine motor, and cognitive skills. Thank you for sharing the passion and love to help our children with autism and other children with special needs.

Jerry Diaz, Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
Rose Diaz, Occupational Therapist Aide
... Read more

Product Description
Like the bestselling first edition, this new edition of Activity Schedules will show thousands of parents and service providers how to use this teaching tool to help children and adults successfully engage in self-directed and purposeful activities.

Activity schedules are a set of pictures or words that cue a child to follow a sequence of steps. Based on ABA methods, learners are taught using a system of graduated guidance--physical prompts systematically faded as performance increases. Once the individual has mastered their use, he or she can independently follow a schedule to engage in activities at home, at school, and during leisure time. For example, activity schedules can cue an individual to prepare food with minimal assistance, interact with classmates, and complete a puzzle.

Based on over 20 years of research the authors have conducted at the Princeton Child Development Institute, the second edition discusses the latest research that points to positive outcomes from using activity schedules, including better self-management, decreased problem behaviors, and skill generalization, among other findings. The new edition includes:

How to use activity schedules to organize all aspects of a person's daily activities, and increase engagement, task completion, making appropriate choices, and sequencing activities;

An expanded section on the use of activity schedules by adults, describing how they are used at home and in the workplace and via iPods and Blackberries;

How to use activity schedules to promote social interaction and to teach children to point to and show objects to others in order to share a social experience.

Detailed instructions and examples help parents prepare their child's first schedule, then progress to more varied and sophisticated schedules, leading to greater independence. ... Read more

Product Description
Individuals with autism are reportedly one of the most difficult populations to toilet train. This second edition offers effective strategies that take the child's physical and emotional sensitivities into account instead of trying to force traditional methods. Easy-to-read bulleted lists offer more than 200 do's and don'ts, along with over 50 real-life examples, to help make the process more of a lesson and less of a battle for all involved. The young trainee will learn to overcome fear of the bathroom, properly use toilet paper, flush once, wash hands, and more. The toilet trainer will learn how to overcome challenges caused by communication needs, sensory sensitivities, motor challenges, anxiety levels, etc. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

A Must for a parent of an Autistic Child
As a mom of a 4-year-old son with autism, I was almost beside myself after trying to potty train him three different times.Each time, I stopped because I was frustrated, tired, and knew I needed a break.This book gave me ideas, hope, and real suggestions in how to succeed with him.There are several techniques in this book, and I found helpful ideas thoroughout. While it did take time, my son is now able to use the toilet himself.I highly recommend this book!

Potty Talk
It was nicely written, somewhat helpful and has a good layout but there wasn't anything in there that was the "light bulb" idea I was hoping for.Truth is, it just takes time. It's exhausting, extensive, AND expensive, but sometimes a kid just ain't ready and so you just have to wait a little bit longer and then try, try again...We've tried so many things: we built a wide step-up platform so our son would have more independence and less trouble with balance, and that works well for peeing. If we tell him potty time and he has to go he will step-up and go through the motions (assisted - he's almost 4) so he is on his way but he has that dreaded "play with poop" issues and this book, while covering the topic better than most others, cannot offer much for help there because it is something he will just simply have to outgrow.(Recommend wearing large size onesies backwards with pants or shorts or even overalls if you're really desperate so you can get in there to check but your child cannot.A company called Essential Whites carries the larger sizes up to 5T and they are truly the softest onesies I have ever bought). DON'T GIVE UP ON POTTY TRAINING THOUGH!I recommend the onesies when you need to take a break for a few weeks. Others might not agree.That's okay!Do what seems to work best for your child!

Great tool
I bought this on Amazon. Very good explanations with plans and pictures to develop toileting skills for ALL children. Well worth the money spent!

Second time around
Hi, I originally wrote a review for this book in 2004.To help my then 6 year old son to Potty train.It really did help so much.Now my son is 13 and I have another 3 year old autistic son.I am buying this book again to start early and try the techniques from the beginning instead of as a last resort.I am truely excited.I just want to mention I bought my picture strips from a lady on ebay.This time my son's speech therapist is going to put them together for me using pics of my sons actual toilet etc.Thank goodness for digital camera's.That is all you need is a digital camera, a printer (print on cardstock or picture paper, and laminate (I use contact paper bought at walmart for 2.00) after laminated you can now buy velcro buttons at walmart or magnet strips.

Very Helpful!
Just started using the picture strips. Only thing that would be more helpful is, where can you find picture strips of daily routines? It's sometimes hard to find images, and you can't really take pictures of your own child doing routine things if he/she doesn't do them yet. ... Read more

Product Description
At last, long-awaited answers to the questions you’ve been asking. Help for frustrated ADHD patients and their families. (As well as those with autism, PDD, Asperger’s syndrome, and other related conditions.)

Attention deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is one of the most rapidly growing diagnoses of our generation. Often the diagnosis fails to provide real help, leaving patients, doctors, and families at a loss to know what to do next. But for the first time ever, new insights into the overwhelming number of similarities between Autism and ADHD are giving those with ADHD genuine hope.

For years, the label of Autism has carried a negative connotation. Parents were afraid to admit the diagnosis and banished the term from discussion. Finally, The ADHD-Autism Connection gives parents, educators, and doctors a reason to embrace autism with a renewed sense of hope and understanding. This book will show how these understandings can minimize the frustration, misdiagnoses, and misunderstandings ADHD sufferers and their families face. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

disappointing
As a parent of a son diagnosed with ASD and ADHD this book sounded very promising to me.
Unfortunatly I found it less than helpful. It is part personal story, part quotes from research and neither works well. Had it been a story of her personal experiences of raising three kids on the spectrum it might have been more interesting and less confusing. Had it presented true research instead of anecdotes and quotes from other books it could have been interesting. Instead the whole thing sounded like a mediocre term paper to me. The chapter on developmental stages throughout childhood stageswould have been a wonderful idea but instead I got to read short descriptions of her sons. Since kids on the spectrum can vary widely this ment nothing to me and my experiences. The frequent mentions and quotes from her personal religious beliefs felt unproffessional and out of place.
There are many books on adhd and autism out by now and there was nothing in this book that was new or compelling or interesting as a personal account. It might be my first book on this topic that will get thrown out. For anyone looking: 'Kids in the syndrome mix' is a much better written and researched book on the topic of neurobiological disorders.

Great insight
I am the parent of an 11-year-old boy with Asperger's Syndrome, or high-functioning autism (diagnosed at 5). We have struggled mightily in recent years, despite reading virtually everything out there on Asperger's (God bless Tony Attwood!), and have been perplexed as to how to address the ADHD symptoms my son displays. I couldn't understand (nor could any doctors) why ADHD treatment failed him, and often seemed to backfire and produce an opposite of the desired result. I found this book very enlightening. I think that the possibility that ADHD and autism spectrum disorders are part of the same continuum is quite feasible. Nowhere does the book say that they are the SAME disorder. I have 3 nephews who are autistic (all brothers), and even thought they fall under the general category of "autism", they have some very differnt behaviors from one another. So to say that ADHD CANNOT be "related" to autism (as some reviewers have claimed) becuse some behaviors are different is fautly reasoning, in my opinion. The term "continuum" implies that there are a wide range of behaviors, different with each child based on their intensity and a child's personality. If I've learned anything about autism over the years, it's that you cannot put autistic children in a "box" in terms of their behaviors; this is one thing that makes the disorder so difficult to understand.

I especially liked the section of this book that covers medication. The author (becuase she is not a doctor) does not attempt to deal with this herself, but has a specialist address meds. After many trials of Ritalin-based meds and Strattera with my son, we always got a more hyper, frazzled child. The book suggested that perhaps because many children with autism have "amplified" senses (my words), a little medication will go a long way. We cut my son's medication down to a quarter of what we'd originally tried, and saw improvement right away. So I guess I tend to lend some credence to the author's ascertations. I'd been lost in the topsy-turvy world of Asperger's vs. ADHD (and whether my son had BOTH, or if they were related)for a very long time, and while this book does not lend any conclusive answers (and doesn't claim to), it certainly gets the debate going, and offers some preliminary proof that they may be realted. Autism is so little understood, that I welcome the kind of research done by Ms. Kennedy. She does not have a degree in neurology, nor psychology, but she is thouroughly well self-taught (as all parents of a child with autism need to be!). I feel that this book has helped to at least direct our path of treatment with my son, and for that I am grateful.

What?
As someone whose adult ADHD diagnosis changed and enriched my life, I feel called to write a reaction to this book.I truly feel I am part of the increasingly small number of people who HAD A TRUE and ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS.Also, at my employement, I work with a guy who is diagnosised autistic, and feel I know him fairly well.

In contrary to what I feel this book is saying, I have been incredibly baffeled as to what autisim is, or any understanding of it what so ever.I even told my parents, "I think autism is the opposite of whatever ADHD is."I don't think I have ever been as shocked to read something as when I came across this book.What comes to mind, is that ADHD is actually a rare disorder/blessing that many non-ADD (as well as autistic) children and adults are being falsly diagnosed as.ADHD has been as abused and misunderstood as much as the way most of our modern educational systems have been to the true ADDers themselves!

I am curious about more on this topic, and will be watching for it.On a personal level, however, all intution tells me that that ADHD, and especially ADD, are being twisted and contorted farther and farther away from its original discovery and meaning!

Beyond Excellent
I cannot give enough praise for this book.It is one of the best written books for ADHD/ Asperger's/ Autism and considering the amount out there that's saying a lot.It opened up a whole new world for me; a world that made sense where everything finally clicked into place after so long. This is not the book for the traditionalist, but if you dare to defy convention and "think outside the box" then this book is for you.

Great book. Very Enlightening
I found this book to be quite interesting. My son and I both own the titles of ADD, but I knew that was not the complete story. After accumulating my own personal library of practically every self-help book on AD-HD, and every other family and/or relationship issue, in a desperate attempt to find exactly why things got so crazy in our family, this book really changed my thinking.


It may not delve deeply into answers to issues, but this book brought to light a lot of characteristics describing my husband and many of his idiosyncrasies which previously I attributed to a shortcoming in myself which living with ADD has a tendency to do .

Trying to raise four kids, with a spouse who was either oblivious to his surroundings while pandemonium broke loose around him; or walked away when the noise level got to be too much; who couldn't communicate well with his children, never yelling, but talking "at", them, if at all; who is generally "compliant", but never once has sought out anyone else out for interaction; everything fell into place for me suddenly as I read this book.

Only someone with ADD, I think, could continue on with someone for years without receiving so much as a single token of affection, be it a candy bar or compliment, and still place the fault with themselves.

As a reviewer mentioned earlier, I too, after having purchased the book realized the occasional Bible quote, which always sends a warning flag to me. But I wouldn't let this be a reason to avoid the book. The focus is, as the title says, and stays on topic.Perhaps such references were meant catch the Christian eye for enlightenment. Autism doesn't' differentiate. And anyone dealing with these issues has the mutual bond of grasping at straws.

This book can't make life any less lonely, but if it might alleviate someone's self blame it is certainly worth reading.If necessary more in depth answers could be sought elsewhere, and there are certainly many references listed in the book for further information.
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Product Description
Praise for the first edition:

`An approachable and practical edition that will be welcomed by parents and carers alike. I know how hard it can be to find "How to" resources for parents. Well here is a gem.'

- Children, Young People and Families

Parents of young children newly diagnosed as on the autism spectrum are often at a loss for ideas about how best to help their child. Playing, Laughing and Learning with Children on the Autism Spectrum is not just a collection of play ideas; it shows how to break down activities into manageable stages, and looks at ways to gain a child's attention and motivation and to build on small achievements.

Each chapter covers a collection of ideas around a theme, including music, art, physical activities, playing outdoors, puzzles, turn-taking and using existing toys to create play sequences. There are also chapters on introducing reading and making the most of television. This updated second edition contains an extensive chapter on how to use the computer, the internet and the digital camera to find and make resources and activities, and suggests many suitable websites to help parents through the internet maze. The ideas are useful both for toddlers and primary age children who are still struggling with play. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Child's Play It Isn't!
Child's play, particularly play involving peers can be very challenging to children on the spectrum.

This book is ideal for offering practical suggestions to parents on how to teach and encourage interaction in play for children on the autism spectrum.

Suggestions such as building activities around a theme and including music are offered.I like the way this author suggests that prepping children on the spectrum and giving them a demo to introduce the concept of play.

The only real drawback this book has is that some of the resources listed are specific to the United Kingdom and therefore are unavailable elsewhere.That notwithstanding, this is an excellent book and ideal for parents, professionals and preschool teachers of neurotypical as well as children on the spectrum alike.

New and Great Resource for Parents and Teachers
This book has the clearest descriptions that I've seen for parents telling them how to engage their child with autism in play. It also has wonderful lists of resources on the web, and toys/materials that can be particularly engaging for children with autism.As a special education teacher working with preschoolers, I also found this book to have new ideas for me too.

I'm so glad I bought this book!
I have an autistic son who is 4 years old now.He was diagnosed when he was 2 1/2 years old and I wish I had bought this book right from the start.There are so many great ideas and it's pratical for a child that's anywhere on the spectrum.The great thing about the activities are that they can be adapted and modified to your specific child.I would recommend this for sure to any parent or teacher with an autistic child.

Easy and Useful Practical Guide
As a psychologist, I have often doubted the epidemic of diagnosis on
the autism spectrum but I found this book useful whether the diagnosis
is appropriate or not for kids that need more sensory stimulation and
creative play.

Any parent with an autistic child will find this a winning guide
Parents of kids newly diagnosed as having autism are often concerned bout how to interact with their child for maximum effectiveness. Playing, Laughing and Learning with Children on the Autism Spectrum is more than just a book about how to play with such a child: it shows how to break down activities into manageable stages, gain a child's attention, and build on play-oriented achievements for broader impact. Any parent with an autistic child will find this a winning guide, as will educators working with special education kids.
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Product Description
(2008 IPPY Awards: Bronze Medalist, Education/Academic/Testing)

Most of us use visual supports in our daily lives--for example, a shopping list, calendar, or a roadmap. Visual supports are particularly beneficial to people with autism because they help make abstract concepts concrete and capitalize on the user's inherent visual learning strengths.

VISUAL SUPPORTS FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM shows parents and educators how incorporating these aids while teaching can improve academic performance, behavior, interaction with others, and self-help skills. In a friendly, conversational-style, the authors, both certified behavior analysts, describe the deficits typical of autism--language, memory, temporal sequential skills, attention, motivation, and social skills--and present strategies to use visual supports to address those issues at school and home.

This guide presents an abundance of examples, illustrated by dozens of black & white and color photos, including: activity schedules; calendars; charts; checklists; color coding; flip books; graphic organizers; mnemonics; nametags; photo boards; Power Cards; scripts; Social Stories; to-do lists; and video modeling.

VISUAL SUPPORTS also explains considerations such as portability, durability, preferences, age appropriateness, and effectiveness. While visual supports can enhance learning, they should, however, eventually be eliminated to avoid over-dependence on them. An entire chapter describes different ways to fade visual supports.

With this book, there's no limit to what can be taught, from fostering social interaction by using a graphic organizer of conversational talking points to learning to put away toys from video modeling. Most of the visual supports presented in this book are low-tech and easy-to-use, making it simple for parents and professionals to create their own, suited to the needs of their students. Inspiring success stories will further motivate parents and professionals to get started. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

I am always looking for good books to recommend...
I run the [...] website and I am always looking for the best of the best in books and products to recommend to teachers and parents.This book is one of the top on my list.It is practical, easy to read and implement and full of really, really good ideas!!!

Teacher needs pictures
This did not include pictures as I was hoping for but the information was excellent.

Book review
I really enjoy this book.It is very organized but unfortunately it isn't very colorful.There is a lot of helpful information in this book.

Not as helpful as I hoped
I have a 3 year old with autism. She hit a rough patch and I was hoping for ideas on visual cues to help with transitions. This book was not at all helpful to me as the cues are much better geared to school age kids, even older school age kids in my opinion.

Excellent resource!
This is an excellent resource for those teachers working with students with autism.Visual supports are the best way to help an autistic child.The techniques described really work!!!The colored pictures of the supports were helpful, too! ... Read more

Product Description
...provides a wealth of practical information for parents professionals, & others concerned with helping such children ... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (47)

Applied Behavior Analysis Curriculum
This book outlines the curriculum that special education teachers use in the treatment of young children with the diagnosis of an autistic spectrum disorder. It is a very practical and useful book, a must-have for parents, therapists, and educators alike.

Not Quite What I Expected
I was pleased overall with the book, but I expected it to have more intervention strategies and suggestions for behavioral modification.

BEST ABA BOOKS OUT THERE.
I HAVE MANY BOOKS ON AUTISM. SINCE I AM RUNNING AN IN HOME ABA PROGRAM.I HAVE FOUND THIS BOOK TO BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL.I WILL RECOMMENDED THIS BOOK TO ANYONE WANTED TO RUN AN ABA PROGRAM.

A great manual for parents and professionals
Just beginning in this field, I did not know what to expect concerning the reading material I would have to read and study.Like many naïve people, I assumed most ABA material would be too scientific or difficult to understand.Although I use ABA at work daily, thinking of it as a scientific treatment made me wary that it would be too hard to explain to others or even too difficult to truly understand myself.However, that all changed after I was assigned to read the second chapter in this book.The second chapter of this book is evaluating claims about treatments for autism.The chapter begins by describing the difference between science, pseudoscience, and antiscience.While describing each of these terms, she provides examples, easy to understand definitions, and describes how each can be seen in current treatments in autism.I believe that many parents who have children with autism are not fully educated on the types of treatments being offered to them for their children.Instead in their need to find a "cure," they are choosing treatment plans that may do more harm than good.However by reading this chapter, parents can begin to learn how to evaluate treatments and separate the ridiculous from the scientific.In this chapter, she describes in detail the factors professionals and parents should use for evaluating treatments, such as is there any evidence, are their replications of the studies with positive findings, is there too much subjective evidence, did they perform controlled experiments, etc.As a result, parents are able to find a treatment plan that will benefit their child and not harm them in the long run.The parents are able to become more involved and have a clearer understanding of the type of treatment their child is receiving.Also, it will allow them to become more involved with the treatment because they will have the research and information in front of them of what they should expect from the intervention chosen.
Another positive aspect of the book is that the authors may prefer ABA treatment for children with autism but they do not discourage other treatments or tell a parent what to do.Instead, they describe other intervention programs, their history, purpose, and any research regarding treatment.They show parents how treatments that look appealing may show no scientific backings for treating children with autism.Unlike many other interventions, it provides parents with the research and information to evaluate the treatments they may have tried besides ABA.The research presented is a starting point for parents to go out and find more research about different interventions plans, but it also provides an example about what parents should look for and disregard when evaluating treatments.I believe this book provides a good guide to use for parents and professionals on how to effectively evaluate treatment programs for children with autism.In this day where many pseudoscientific treatments are becoming available making promises of "curing" children with autism, parents and professionals need a manual that will help them learn how to scientifically choose the right program for their child without relying on other people's subjective reasons.

After the diagnosis....
Catherine Maurice points out the strategy of this manual very succinctly by stating "We are putting ourselves in the shoes of parents."Definitive ways to begin a home based program dealt with issues such as the hiring of an A.B.A. therapist and obtaining volunteers from local colleges.Examples of the efficacy of parent groups such as F.E.A.T. allow us to see the possibilities of cost effective home programs.Starting up an early intervention program was compared to beginning a small business.It requires parents motivated to work closely with professionals in both home and community settings. Interventions were clearly described, and systems of recording data to track individual student progress were labeled and detailed.Passages explaining how to determine the effectiveness of programs based on scientifically proven facts are specific and simple enough for a layperson to understand.
Dr. Ivar Lovass` chapter states "Behavioraltreatment is based on stepwise and cumulative knowledge from scientific research."(Page 242).
Speech Language Pathologists and A.B.A. therapists working in tandem enhance similar goals.The importance of tracking progress in these areas by parents and professionals in contact with the child were clearly highlighted.
Broad explanations of legal rights were provided by a special education lawyer.Specific concerns of what to address in an I.E.P and determination of where a child will have optimum progress, not just the "least restrictive environment," were outlined by professionals and effectively following A.B.A. programs conclude the manual.Many experts and parents collaborated on this manual, and I believe the purpose was to provide parents and educators with a comprehensive overview and summation of exactly what a good A.B.A. program is and does for children.
Parents of young children newly diagnosed with autism will greatly benefit from the scientific and personal support that is found in this manual.My local state run special education resource library has this manual in the early childhood section.I will keep this in my personal library and reference it frequently.Out of the hundreds of books I've read on the subject of autism, this manual surpasses them in terms of practical and hopeful ideas, whether or not it fits into your immediate plan of therapy.There is a broad range of abilities and differences among all people, and especially those on the spectrum.It behooves us to discern exactly how we can help our children, and if, in fact, there is objective evidence and success to justify therapies in use, and whether or not they will generalize into the future.
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Product Description
The must-have New York Times bestseller that tells you what to do now for a child with autism, ADD, ADHD, OCD, and other disorders

For any child with challenges, early intervention is essential and parents need a plan that they can implement right away. Jenny McCarthy, one of the country's leading autism advocates, has teamed up with top autism specialist Jerry Kartzinel, M.D., to offer a prescriptive guide to the healing therapies and treatments that have turned the lives of so many children around. While autism cases have grown a whopping 6000 percent since the 1970s, the medical community is still waking up to the epidemic and parents need tools to begin healing their children and educating their doctors, instead of waiting six months to a year to get an appointment with a specialist. In this book, parents will learn about the following:

•The biomedical diet and supplement protocol

•Where to find alternative therapies and how to implement them

•A list of tests any doctor can perform

•Studies to show your doctor that will help make the case that they need to support your efforts

•Advice for preventing autism during pregnancy and the early years by looking at family history of allergies, depression, and autoimmune disorders as well as Mom's chemical exposure

Whether your child has autism, ADD, ADHD, OCD, or an autism spectrum disorder, Healing and Preventing Autism is the authoritative reference book with the tools to heal your child.

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Customer Reviews (84)

Thank You Jenny McCarthy!!!!ONE STRONG ADVOCATE FOR AUTISM!!!
Jenny McCarthy's books are all wonderful resources towards recovery leading from the start of biomedical treatment for those families affected by autism.She speaks the truth and it is such a threat to the majority of the medical community who mostly want to push vaccines for profit.Please ignore the greed and get the help you need to help your child.Genetics was the trigger, HOWEVER (in the majority of cases) vaccines are the bullets.

Biomedical Intervention DOES NOT CURE AUTISM
Seriously.... I loved Jenny McCarthy's books on Pregnancy and Motherhood, but she should have STOPPED there.
Do you people realized that SHE CAN AFFORD all these treatments MOST people whose kids are on the Spectrum, can't?I know parents who have lost thier homes reading this book thinking thier child would be recovered and cured and while thier child has made progress, they are not cured or recovered, but still in the poor house stressed to the nines.

I am a firm believer in ABA and therapies services. I also think the GFCF is a great idea. I tried it on my daughter who has classic, but high functioning autism, and it didn't work for us.

Some of the supplementing and stuff is just a bit much to me.If you do through research, there is a lot of questionable stuff out there about DAN Dr.s and Biomeds.

All I am saying is do your homework... don't just run out to a DAN dr. and assume they are god and spend hundreds of dollars they charge you for these irrelivant tests, which a high percentage of the time, won't change anything about your ASD kiddo. Try ABA and any other additional therapy for a FEW months FIRST.

The only GOOD thing about this book is it did a decent job of explaining the different biomed procedures and testing, supplements, etc.

I personally don't believe in a lot of the biomed stuff and the route they take.To each his own.ABA therapy and me working with her just in the past 6 months... has made life altering changes for the good and I didn't pop shots and pills into my kid. I tried the medication/supplement free route first and it has worked.

Hope in a book for parents of children with autism
I have an autistic son. When you hear that diagnosis, it comes crashing down on you like a tsunami, threating to wash all hope for your child's future away. But you can't give up hope, and that's what this book is about.

Most of the controversy around this book comes from the medical community saying a certain vaccine couldn't have caused a single child's autism, the diets and other treatments in the book don't really cure autism, and that the evidence of both things is only anecdotal. Maybe they're right. I know my son's autism wasn't caused by a vaccine--it was caused by an citrus allergy--but when I hear a parent say that's what caused their child's autism, I believe them. A parent knows. The medical community wasn't there when it happen, so how could they know better than the parent? And maybe it's only the cause in 5% of cases, but that doesn't mean the parents who experienced it deserve to be treated like they don't know what they're talking about. I can also tell you that when I put my son on a gluten-casein free diet, he answered a question without prompting for the first time in about six months. Is my son cured? No. But I have hope for him, and I don't care how many times the medical community says these things don't work: I refuse to give up hope.

The book goes into this diet and other treatments, and it does it in a friendly, chatty, funny, and easy to absorb format. It's probably not the best book on these treatments on the market, but it is a book parents can read, understand and use. It offers a choice of suggestions without making any promises. Sometimes these treatments work, and sometimes they don't. Every child is different--but every child deserves a chance.

There is hope for children with autism. Maybe only 5% of children will get better because their parents read this book (from my experience, I think it's much more than that), but that's 5% better that the autistic children of parents who didn't even try because doctors told them nothing works. If you find yourself in that situation, read this book. There are other doctors out there, ones like Dr. Kartzinel. You and your child deserve a doctor who will listen to you and offer you hope. Don't give up until you find it.

Approach with an open mind
As a new parent who knows several people with children who are on the spectrum, I was eager to read this book to see if there was indeed some way to prevent autism. While I found the authors' personal stories regarding their own children very interesting, there was little in the way of hard-core science to back up the claims in the book with the most controversial being that vaccines may trigger autism in children with weak immune systems. (Indeed, the current studies say there is not a link between autism and vaccines.)

With that said, most of the diet and health advice probably couldn't hurt most children who are on the spectrum. Indeed, the diet advice may even help those who are not on the spectrum, but suffer from multiple allergies.

My biggest problem with this book is the anti-vaccine agenda. While McCartney states that she is not anti-vaccine and feels it is up to the parents to vaccine or not, Dr. Kartzinel is clear that he is anti-vaccine. He does not vaccine children in his practice and only recommends a single vaccine for parents who want to vaccinate their children. I truly wish there had been some space given to the pros of vaccination, but it is not to be found.

Still, there is no doubt that the authors truly are speaking from the heart and their goal is to help children and families who are dealing with autism. I just wish it wasn't so anti-vaccination.

awesome book
gave this as a gift to autistic family members parent and got a very favorable review from her.Very helpful info. ... Read more