This book discusses the process, the pros and cons, and the after-effects of receiving an autism diagnosis in adulthood.Outlining the likely stages of the journey to diagnosis, this book looks at what the individual may go through as they become aware of their Asperger characteristics and as they seek pre-assessment and diagnosis, as well as common reactions upon receiving a diagnosis - from depression and anger to relief and self-acceptance. Combining practical guidance with advice from personal experience and interviews and correspondence with specialists in the field, the book discusses if and when to disclose to family, friends and employers, how to seek appropriate support services, and how to use the self-knowledge gained through diagnosis to live well in the future.

    Dale was still a baby when his parents realised that something wasn't right. Worried, his mother Nuala took him to see several doctors, before finally hearing the word 'autism' for the first time in a specialist's office. Scared but determined that Dale should live a fulfilling life, Nuala describes her despairat her son's condition, her struggle to prevent Dale being excluded from a 'normal' education and her sense of hopeless isolation. Dale's autism was severe and violent and family life was a daily battleground. But the Gardner's lives were transformed when they welcomed a gorgeous Golden Retriever into the family. The special bond between Dale and his dog Henry helped them to produce the breakthrough in Dale they had long sought. From taking a bath to saying 'I love you', Henry helped introduce Dale to all the normal activities most parents take for granted, and set him on the road to being the charming and well-adjusted young man he is today. This is a heartrending and fascinating account of how one devoted and talented dog helped a little boy conquer his autism.

    The main characteristic is a continued resistance to the ordinary demands of life through strategies of social manipulation, which originates from an anxiety-driven need to be in control.This straightforward guide is written collaboratively by professionals and parents to give a complete overview of PDA. Starting with an exploration into the syndrome, it goes on to answer the immediate questions triggered when a child is first diagnosed, and uses case examples throughout to illustrate the impact of the condition on different areas of the child's life. Early intervention options and workable strategies for managing PDA positively will make day-to-day life easier for the child, their family and peers. New problems faced in the teenage years and how to assist a successful transition from adolescence to adulthood are also tackled. The book concludes with a valuable resources list.Full of helpful guidance and support, this user-friendly introductory handbook is essential reading for families, carers and anyone who knows a child with PDA.

    Her personal account of the experience of autism was a revelation. It shattered many myths and previously accepted facts about autism. Her book permanently changed the previously limited understanding of autistic disorders. I believe Aarons writings have the same potential regarding Aspergers Disorder. He reveals depths of emotion, social comprehension, nuances of cognition and perception, and especially the potential for something close to recovery. I believe its potential benefits are invaluable and capable of changing lives. In the course of this personal odyssey, however, he becomes much more than a clinical study of Aspergers, for his personal queries eventually pose the same strenuous questions about the human experience that have challenged philosophers since antiquity: What is the meaning of our lives and actions? How do we reconcile our experience with that of others? Where does the Truth lie? What is Love? Does freedom equal love? Dr. Mark Cameron, PhD St. Louis, MO What Aaron has written provides a unique and unusual look into the cognitive processes involved in someone with Asperger's Syndrome. Understanding these ideas and emotions are essential to provide a better understanding to Autism Spectrum Disorders, including Asperger's Syndrome. This will provide a unique contribution to scientific research as well as better awareness and understanding of people with this disorder. Dr. Alycia Halladay Princeton, NJ

    An experienced therapist offers groundbreaking and compassionate techniques for helping chronically inflexible children, who suffer from excessively immoderate tempers, showing how brain-based deficits contribute to these problems and offering positive and constructive ways to calm things down.

    A fresh and timely approach to understanding the profound impact of motor development on children of all ages and stages.Based on the authors' more than seventy combined years of professional success working with children of all abilities, Growing an In-Sync Child provides parents, teachers, and other professionals with the tools to give every child a head start and a leg up.Because early motor development is one of the most important factors in a child's physical, emotional, academic, and overall success, the In- Sync Program of sixty adaptable, easy, and fun activities will enhance your child's development, in just minutes a day.Discover how simple movements such as skipping, rolling, balancing, and jumping can make a world of difference for your child--a difference that will last a lifetime.

    This book unlocks the inner workings of neurotypical behavior, which can be mysterious to autistics. Topics include the nuances of friendship, dating, small talk, interpersonal conflicts, image, learning styles, social communication, common sense, and white lies.Proceeding from root concepts of language and culture through 62 behavior patterns used by neurotypical people, the book reveals how they structure a mental map of the world in symbolic webs of beliefs, how those symbols are used to filter perception, how they build and display their identity, how they compete for power, and how they socialize and develop relationships. From the introduction: This book reveals psychological patterns of neurotypical humans, from an autistic perspective. I wrote it to help you understand them. You might read it if you are autistic and have to work harder to understand why people do what they do, or you might read it if you are neurotypical and want to understand an autistic person in your life, or you might read it because you are interested in new ways of looking at personalities and behavior.

    The absentminded professor with untied shoelaces. The geeky Silicon Valley programmer who writes bullet­proof code but can’t get a date. But there is another set of (tiny) geniuses whom you would never add to those ranks—child prodigies. We mostly know them as the chatty and charming tykes who liven up day­time TV with violin solos and engaging banter. These kids aren’t autistic, and there has never been any kind of scientific connection between autism and prodigy.  Until now.  Over the course of her career, psychologist Joanne Ruthsatz has quietly assembled the largest-ever research sample of these children. Their accomplishments are epic. One could reproduce radio tunes by ear on a toy guitar at two years old. Another was a thirteen-year-old cooking sensation. And what Ruthsatz’s investigation revealed is noth­ing short of astonishing. Though the prodigies aren’t autistic, many have autistic family members. Each prodigy has an extraordinary memory and a keen eye for detail—well-known but often-overlooked strengths associated with autism.  Ruthsatz and her daughter and coauthor, Kim­berly Stephens, now propose a startling possibility: What if the abilities of child prodigies stem from a genetic link with autism? And could prodigies— children who have many of the strengths of autism but few of the challenges—be the key to a long-awaited autism breakthrough?  In The Prodigy’s Cousin, Ruthsatz and Stephens narrate the poignant stories of the children they have studied, including that of a two-year-old who loved to spell words like “algorithm” and “confeder­ation,” a six-year-old painter who churned out mas­terpieces faster than her parents could hang them, and a typically developing thirteen-year-old who smacked his head against a church floor and woke up a music prodigy.  This inspiring tale of extraordinary children, indomitable parents, and a researcher’s unorthodox hunch is essential reading for anyone interested in the brain and human potential. Ruthsatz and Stephens take us from the prodigies’ homes to the depths of the autism archives to the cutting edge of genetics research, all while upending our under­standing of what makes exceptional talent possible.

    Now as awareness of this condition reaches an all-time high, this comprehensive guidebook offers cutting-edge advice to parents of SI children. Written by an occupational therapist and a parent with a child with SI dysfunction, "Raising a Sensory Smart Child makes it easy for readers to recognize and understand their child's sensory issues and to find the best treatment for their child's needs.

    Her informative booklet An Experimental Intervention for Autism combined scientific principles with practical advice for parents in a very readable way. Its availability on the Internet has made it one of the most widely read and influential pieces ever written on autism. Her new book also concentrates on the practical applications of knowledge and understanding. It is well researched, well written and very much needed.'- Paul Shattock, Autism Research Unit, University of SunderlandLisa Lewis explains, in this easy-to-read and accessible book, how and why to implement a dietary intervention strategy for helping children and adults with autism. Drawing upon her own success with removing gluten and casein from her son's diet, she answers the many questions parents and professionals might have about choosing a dietary intervention. Why choose a special diet? Are there tests to help me decide? Is there research to support this type of intervention? Will my child starve? What do I cook?In addition, she provides over 150 good-tasting recipes to get started on the diet -everything from spaghetti and meatballs to holiday treats and sweets and edible clay!

    (International Dyslexia Association- New York branch) Dr. Robert Frank, whose own dyslexia didnít stop him from becoming an educator, psychologist, and award-winning author, takes the reader inside the emotions and frustrations of the dyslexic child to help parents coach their child to:- Improve academic achievement- Get support from friends and family- Establish solid work and study habits- Focus on abilities and strengths- Set and meet personal goalsAbove all, Dr. Frank tells parents the simple steps they can take to help their child build self-esteem and confidence and create a life of success.

    At nine he started working on an original theory in astrophysics that experts believe may someday put him in line for a Nobel Prize, and at age twelve he became a paid researcher in quantum physics. But the story of Kristine’s journey with Jake is all the more remarkable because his extraordinary mind was almost lost to autism. At age two, when Jake was diagnosed, Kristine was told he might never be able to tie his own shoes. The Spark is a remarkable memoir of mother and son. Surrounded by “experts” at home and in special ed who tried to focus on Jake’s most basic skills and curtail his distracting interests—moving shadows on the wall, stars, plaid patterns on sofa fabric—Jake made no progress, withdrew more and more into his own world, and eventually stopped talking completely. Kristine knew in her heart that she had to make a change. Against the advice of her husband, Michael, and the developmental specialists, Kristine followed her instincts, pulled Jake out of special ed, and began preparing him for mainstream kindergarten on her own. Relying on the insights she developed at the daycare center she runs out of the garage in her home, Kristine resolved to follow Jacob’s “spark”—his passionate interests. Why concentrate on what he couldn’t do? Why not focus on what he could? This basic philosophy, along with her belief in the power of ordinary childhood experiences (softball, picnics, s’mores around the campfire) and the importance of play, helped Kristine overcome huge odds. The Barnetts were not wealthy people, and in addition to financial hardship, Kristine herself faced serious health issues. But through hard work and determination on behalf of Jake and his two younger brothers, as well as an undying faith in their community, friends, and family, Kristine and Michael prevailed. The results were beyond anything anyone could have imagined. Dramatic, inspiring, and transformative, The Spark is about the power of love and courage in the face of overwhelming obstacles, and the dazzling possibilities that can occur when we learn how to tap the true potential that lies within every child, and in all of us.

    This practical and compassionate handbook helps parents sharpen any child's social skills by identifying the "unwritten rules" that govern all relationships.

    It is easy to read, factually correct, scientifically rigorous, and not to long (116 pages, including index). I enjoyed reading it and I will be recommending it to my students.'- British Journal of Social WorkApplied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is based on the premise that behavior can be influenced by changes in environment and by the reinforcing consequences of that behavior. This introductory guide to ABA demystifies the basic terminology, the underlying principles, and commonly-used procedures of ABA using accessible, everyday language.Albert J. Kearney explains the kinds of learning and reinforcement processes that form the basis of ABA programs. Having covered these essential principles, he describes how the science of behavior analysis can be effectively applied to real life behavior problems. He looks at how behavior is assessed and various intervention techniques that are often employed with children who have autism and other special needs. Having laid these essential foundations, Kearney touches on more advanced topics: the applications of ABA in behavioral education, such as precision teaching and programmed instruction.Clear, accessible, and with a structure that is easy-to-follow, this book is an essential introduction to the discipline of ABA and its applications for parents and professionals.

    He writes about families coping with deafness, dwarfism, Down's syndrome, autism, schizophrenia, or multiple severe disabilities; with children who are prodigies, who are conceived in rape, who become criminals, who are transgender. While each of these characteristics is potentially isolating, the experience of difference within families is universal, and Solomon documents triumphs of love over prejudice in every chapter.All parenting turns on a crucial question: to what extent should parents accept their children for who they are, and to what extent they should help them become their best selves. Drawing on ten years of research and interviews with more than three hundred families, Solomon mines the eloquence of ordinary people facing extreme challenges.Elegantly reported by a spectacularly original and compassionate thinker, Far from the Tree explores how people who love each other must struggle to accept each other—a theme in every family’s life.