The World of the Autistic Child: Understanding and Treating Autistic Spectrum Disorders

After having my then 4 year old diagnosed with Autism, I happened to see this book on my Library's New Titles shelve. I had listened to all the Dr. and experts and was totally confused. This book gave it to me in black and white, it told me the harsh realities and the miraculous gifts that come with Autism. I still refer everyone to this Title. Don't let the first few chapters of catagorizations scare you off the rest of the book. Hang in there it is definitely worth it!

Outstanding first stop for anyone who suspects his or her child has autism or PDD, or who has just received a diagnosis. Helps you understand the range of different profiles children on this spectrum have and their differences from typically developing children. Balanced discussion of the multiple issues any parent needs to consider. If you haven't already, you will soon discover that the treatment community is highly polarized and everyone has a bias. You need information to help you sort out what you read and hear elsewhere. This book delivers.

I read this book as part of a class in my graduate studies. I found this book very easy to read and understandable. The author does not use words that are confusing to a person who is not in the autism field. She explains simple steps to help you help your autistic children. I believe, people are not necessarly looking for the definition of autism but how to help the a child with autism. This book accomplishes this. I am special education teacher who teaches children who are autistic. I would reccommend this book to anyone who needs to know WHAT TO DO with their autistic children.

This should be a first book for parents coming to terms with and understanding autism: it is readable, informative and even comforting. I too bought a copy for my son's early intervention program teachers.

When my three year old son was diagnosed as autistic, I was devastated and confused. Autism is a very complex and difficult disorder to understand. All of the other books I read seemed focused on legal rights, or adult issues for autism. This book by Dr. Siegel, explains what autism is, and how to proceed after getting a diagnosis. Her main emphasis is on very young children whose families are at the beginning of this lifelong struggle. This book gave me many ideas on how to deal with my feelings, my family, and most importantly, my child with autism. She doesn't pitch "miracle cures", but she does offer hope in emphasizing that the real answer is getting involved in your child's prognosis by entering "Early Intervention" programs and educating yourself and others involved in your child's development