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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 618.928982
EAN num: 9780195119176
ISBN number: 0195119177
Label: Oxford University Press
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 351
Printing Date: January 29, 1998
Publishing house: Oxford University Press
Sale Popularity Level: 172790
Studio: Oxford University Press
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For thousands of loving and concerned parents of autistic children, the suspicion that something may be wrong comes long before the clinical diagnosis of autism, PDD (pervasive developmental disorder), or Asperger's syndrome. When rounds of testing and consultations confirm parents' worst fears, their emotional turmoil is matched by an overriding practical concern: What do we do next?
The World of the Autistic Child is by far the most complete and comprehensive book ever written for the parents of autistic children, and for the teachers, child specialists, and other professionals that care for them. Written by Dr. Bryna Siegel, a developmental psychologist and director of a large university clinic for autistic children, it provides help and hope not only for the children, but for their families--the parents, grandparents, siblings, and other caregivers who must come to grips with their own grief and confusion following a diagnosis of autism or other related disorder. Dr. Siegel believes that parents' best defense is to acquire, as early as possible, the knowledge and the parenting skills they will need to work with professionals to help their child fulfill his or her potential. This book, therefore, is about understanding the diagnosis of autism, the available treatments, and how to decide what is best for a particular child with autism or PDD.
Straightforward and sympathetic, Dr. Siegel guides readers through the thicket of symptoms and labels, explaining the crucial importance of intensive early education, and how to find the resources and help that are available. Behavior modification, the development of daily living skills, guidelines for selecting and designing schooling, mainstreaming, the role for traditional academics in educating higher functioning children and young people, building effective parent-teacher relationships, psychoactive medications, and dealing with the possibility of residential placement are all covered. Dr. Siegel teaches parents and professionals to use their own common sense and personal observations in evaluating the many highly publicized but unorthodox and often untested treatments for autism, including the much-touted facilitated communication (F/C), holding therapy, auditory training, 'Options' therapy, allergy treatments, and special diets.
Pulling together a wealth of long-needed information on the latest educational and medical advances, The World of the Autistic Child is a superb guide and resource that no one who cares about autistic or developmentally disabled young people will want to be without.
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Rated by buyers 
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Caveat Emptor! Buyers beware. This book set expectations of hoping to find relevant or recognizable autism experiences and behaviors. I also didn't like the way the author relied on diagnoses and leaned on them like a weakened, tottery old crutch. For example, Dr. Grandin, a famous person with autism and someone who clearly lives with a rather severe form of autism is pigeonholed into the "PDD" (Pervasive Developmental Disorder) box. All of Dr. Grandin's claims about the Autistic Experience appear to be denied. I didn't like that.
In reading this, one cannot help thinking that the author had a framework for which her view of autism fit and any and all other information and experience would be denied. My take on it is, if the neurotypical (NT) population wants to know more about autism, then ask somebody with autism! For Pete's sake! Not everybody on the spectrum thinks in pictures, for example. That kind of stereotypical thinking drives me up a tree.
Another reviewer on the U.S. boards rightfully says that this book would have better served the NT and autisstic worlds by not pretending to have insight into a world which the author is not a part of nor claim to have insights that are sorely lacking. Saying this book provides insight to the autistic mind is like saying you are a gourmet chef because you watched one cooking show or are a world traveler because you visited one city in one foreign country. Autism is as varied as there are individuals who have it and fewer things annoy me as much as the a) negative stereotypes, such as the tired "Rain Man" cliche and b) NT people claiming they have answers to autism when they are merely spectators and speculators.
Describing behavior is one thing. Knowing the underlying causes and understanding the responses people with autism make in given cases is an entirely different matter. I'll say it again - if you want to know about autism, then talk to somebody who is autistic!
There are many books that are vastly superior to this one. If you want a good overview of autism/Asperger's, start with Tony Attwood's books. He is truly a leading authority and expert on autism/Asperger's.
Rated by buyers 
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I have been part of the world of autism for 5 1/2 years now. My child is 8. This book was of most interest to me the very first two years of his diagnosis, but I still pick it up now and then.
When I very first received my son' diagnosis, I looked on the Internet and read many horrifying statistics such as, 40% of autistics end up insitutionalized by high school, and 75% of autistics had mental retardation. Nowadays if you do a google search, you would be hard-pressed to find those statistics anywhere. So things have changed DRAMATICALLY since then, and a more recently written book might be more relevant and generally more positive in outlook.
This book is NOT a pep-talk. It can be alarming to read some of her statements about autistic children. For example, here is a statement similar to others made in the book: "Because autism constitutes an additional barrier to functioning, autistic people seldom hold jobs at the level that could simply be predicted by their level of intelligence."
Depending on my state of mind, this COULD be depressing. But it can also be motivating - I could tell myself, "This is statistical data, it tells me nothing about my own son and his future abilities. It is an interesting fact and something I will keep in mind and try to address as I continue working to help my son fulfill his potential."
However, I STILL think this book is worth checking out of the library. The book does a good job of describing autism - particularly the social and communication challenges autistic children face. The other useful thing about her book is that it is a fairly detailed SURVEY of autism, from childhood to adulthood. If your child has autism, you will most likely see aspects of your child in the pages. Sometimes she draws your attention to something you might not have realized was an autistic tendency.
For example, her comments on "playlalia" were a wake up call to me that I needed to help my son stretch and elaborate on his play activities. His play looked relatively normal when observed casually - but a closer look revealed characteristics of "playlalia", as she calls it.
I've also found the parts describing the loss, anger, and grief of parents, and the impact of autism on siblings, to be useful to our family as well.
The treatment resources section was of less interest to me. Siegel holds Lovaas and ABA in high regard and she emphasizes teaching communication skills and behavior management. She briefly mentions "alternative" therapies, such as holding therapy, AIT, diet, and facilitated communication. RDI is too new to be mentioned in this book.
In conclusion, useful survey information about autism and its characteristics. The outdated information on outcomes for autistic children, and Siegel's detatched, somewhat pessimistic tone might be too depressing for some parents.
Rated by buyers 
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There was a bit of useful information in this book but it suffered from being outdated and too pessimistic in its outlook. Contrary to the author's statements, far more than 10% of autistics have the capacity to be integrated into mainstream society. Lovaas's research has the number at close to 50%. While I believe the actual figure may be somewhat lower, 30-40% seems reasonable to me. And as our knowledge and understanding of autism increases, the percentages are only going to improve.
I'm also reasonably certain that parents who share the author's attitude of "there's only so much you can do, you just have to settle for less" may have a self-fulfilling prophecy on their hands. My experience as the parent of an autistic child has been continuous incremental improvement, but only in the presence of positive pressure. And that pressure has to come from both on the parents and the teachers - one or the other is not enough.
The author's skepticism about the more questionable treatments for autism is well-taken. Some, such as vitamin B6, have been shown to cause serious injury. Even when they aren't dangerous, they can waste a lot of time, energy and money that could be better directed elsewhere, such as in a well-designed ABA program. I would advise parents who are about to embark on
a new treatment for their children to ask if there are any
well-designed studies proving it's efficacy. If not, look
elsewhere.
Rated by buyers -
Dreadful book--I read this in the early days of looking for information on my daughter, and I found it depressing and unhelpful. There are a lot of books out there now that can help you help your child. This emphatically is not one of them. Read Steven Gutstein, Stanley Greenspan, and Catherine Maurice if you want to teach your child using behavioral interventions: there are so many sources online now to help parents new to the diagnosis.
She's also way too negative about the possibility for the child's improvement, and I think she condescends to both parents and autistic children. I've read much of what's out there, and this is nowhere on my list of recommended books for parents.
Rated by buyers -
I am sorry, but I checked out this book from the library a few days after my son was diagnosed and it made me sick! Fortunately I also checked out Facing Autism by Lynn Hamilton and also other more current books on the subject! Bryna Siegel is no expert. She only has a masters degree and could not treat children if she wasn't a professor at a university. She has done more damage for children with autism than she has ever helped them. She has said that because ABA is so expensive, if your child doesn't have a marked improvement in the very first 4 to 6 weeks, you should try something else. I think that is a bit too grey and white. She also says that parents are quick to blame the program if their child is not improving. Well, Dr. Vincent Carbone says, if your child isn't learning, look at your teaching method. "Children with autism are not learning disabled, they are teaching challenges!!"
Finally, school districts LOVE to pay Bryna to testify on their behalf against parents who want an ABA program for their kids. That should tell you something! Bryna Siegel is a self- promoting "know it all."
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