Facing Autism: Giving Parents Reasons for Hope and Guidance for Help

This is an excellent book for parents of children with autism. The Hamiltons' oldest child, Ryan, was born in 1992 with no overt signs of autism. He did not display classic or overt autistic behaviors until he was a year old. The Hamiltons were religious missionaries and spent the summer of 1993 in Russia with Ryan. It was in Russia that that Ryan's language became depleted; his behavior consisting of more self-stimming than of actual playing and his developmental lags were glaring among his peers. After that missionary period, the Hamiltons returned to the U.S. and began making the round of specialists. In late 1994, their daughter was born and Ryan's autism was all the more marked alongside of her neurotypical (NT) development. Luckily for all, the Hamiltons began a megavitamin regimine for Ryan; ABA (formerly behavior modification) therapy and intensive training sessions for the boy. By the fall of 1998, Ryan, then 5 and starting kindergarten was described as being "indistinguishable" from his NT peers. I like the way Lynn Hamilton includes scientific/physiological explanations for what takes place in the body when taking certain vitamins and medications; her knowledge of nutrition and her inclusion of world wide sites and agencies geared for individuals with autism. I also like the chapter Lynn's husband Roger wrote, sharing his insights as the father of a child with autism. One crucial point he made was to include the other children in the family, in this case their daughter when pointing things out to the child with autism and to take time to make little fun trips between therapy sessions. An excellent point that was made throughout the book is that by providing services to children with autism will be cost efficient in the long run because follow up work with adults with autism can prove to be quite costly. From a monetary standpoint, rehabilitation services such as housing and job assistance and also a purely human standpoint- the sooner services are provided to families who need them, the less likely the individual with autism will need extra help in the long run. Autism is presented in this book as a Rubik's Cube. Like that famous cube, you can turn the many facets in any direction, yet to find that elusive full match. Many different perspectives are given, e.g. physiological; economic; therapeutic and each interlocks with the others. As a Christian, I loved the way her faith sustained her; the inclusion of passages from Scripture were very moving indeed. I like that and think of it as a kind of faith sharing.

I had a suspicion our son had autism long before it was confirmed by any Doctor. I bought this book, hoping for some clues and answers. It was fabulous! If you have a suspicion that your child might have a form of autism, get this book, that way when you do go to the Dr. you will be ahead of the game. There are so many great resources in the book, and for the newly diagnosed the chapter,What to Do First is an excellent place to start. Another nice feature of the book is being able to pick out specific chapters you want to read, you don't have to read it cover to cover. It has been such a blessing to me, I cried when reading of her early experiences with her son, thinking of how I could relate, and in some cases wondering how the outside workd can be so cruel. It has given me a wealth of information and hope.

I wish that this book had been published when my own son was first diagnosed with autism. It is certainly the first book that I would recommend to any parent of an autistic child.Autism is such a multifactorial and multifaceted disorder that most children seem to need several modes of intervention to help them achieve to their fullest potential. I wasted many months trying to gather information from different sources. However, in this one book, Lynn Hamilton succeeds in combining an inspiring and very personal story with the nitty gritty practical details of all the interventions which have helped her son. She describes behavioural therapy, diet, food and vitamin supplementation, secretin, and sensory and auditory integration. She provides both a personal and scientific background to each of these along with numerous references, and details of suppliers.There is a chapter written by Lynn's husband in which he shares how to survive as a family and maintain loving relationships. Also included is a short yet moving section provided by the mother of a boy who did not make dramatic progress despite many therapies.The whole book is written in an easily readable style, and packed with down to earth advice as well as information.I know from personal experience that, as a parent, the day that autism enters your life is a very black one indeed. This book will help to give you direction as to what you can do now, and it will help to give you hope for the future.

Lynn Hamilton's "Facing Autism: Giving Parents Reasons for Hope and Guidance for Help" has an amazing wealth of information on so many topics of interest. Lynn has researched and skillfully organized information on many different treatments and therapies. She describes in detail her experiences with Applied Behavior Analysis, provides information on cutting-edge biomedical treatments, and discusses dietary intervention. You will find explanations of sensory and auditory therapies, plus much more. A must-read guidebook for parents of autistic children. This is one book that I would not advise you check out from a library. I think you should have your very own copy. You will find that you want to underline information, mark pages, and have the book on hand for future reference. Lynn points you to helpful Internet sites, provides addresses for further information on many topics, gives practical tips on keeping records, tax deductions and funding sources. She lists ten things every parent can do right now to help their child. You will find pages and pages of solid, no-nonsense information for parents, especially those new to autism, and to help you find the resources you need.

"Facing Autism" organizes and simplifiies the onslaught of information beseiging parents just receiving the dreaded diagnosis for their child. Other parents in the same situation, I have found, are the most reliable and current resource. Parent friendly and practical, this book is written by Lynn, mother of Ryan, a child with Autism.A must for the parents of a newly diagnosed child, and a richly informational handbook for other parents and professionals. Applied Behavior Analysis, Diet Intervention, Medical therapies as well as navigation through the Public Education System are explained to make sense. My hope is that each time a diagnosis is given, "Facing Autism" is the handed to the parents at the same time, as their first ray of hope.