Customer Reviews

Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum: A Parent's Guide to the Cognitive, Social, Physical, and Transition Needs ofTeenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a school system employee, I have worked with many students in the past years that fall on the Autism Spectrum. Recent research indicates that 1 in 166 people fall somewhere on the autism spectrum. Such children can be extremely challenging for parents, but parents with the right information can be empowered to help their child improve. This book is an excellent and detailed resource for many of the issues parents face in raising a child on the Autism spectrum. The book begins with a great description of Autism, and is especially useful for parents who are reading their first book on autism. The book moves into more inspirational mode, and discusses the importance of acceptance and a positive attitude in the face of adversity. The book continues with information and strategies on how to cope at the family level (e.g. non-disabled peers relationship with an autistic peer and the challenges for married couples). It also discusses strategies to talk to teens about puberty, the birds and the bees, and proper hygiene. A strength of the book is the detail it goes into. For example, the author discusses strategies in dealing with teens who have sensory issues and don't want to comb their hair, etc... The book also supplies valuable information about transition to high-school and beyond, and future employment. It also educates parents about special education law. I would recommend this book as a great resource for parents of children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

My son is too old for "early intervention" and is definitely on the high functioning end of the continuum, which has made it difficult at time to find resources. So many books (and programs) are geared toward early intervention - which is fantastic - but we're past that point. A good percentage of the rest are geared towards kids not as lucky as mine who face much greater challenges and limitations.

This book deals with issues across the spectrum and functional level continuum specifically in relation with the issues and challenges adolescence poses for both kids and the adults in their lives. It is readable - the language is comfortable, the tone is positive and motivational, the ideas and suggestions are, for the most part, accessible to most people. Maybe a little too much emphasis of self-sacrifice, but that is offset by the chapters on balancing the needs of the family, couple and neurotypical siblings with the affected child.

Recommended highly for parents charting the rapids of adolescence in the lop-sided ASD rowboat.

Amidst a surge in books on autism and adolescence comes this praiseworthy contribution for parents of teens and `tweens with autism spectrum disorders. In a frank yet soothing voice, author and mother Chantal Sicile-Kira offers page after page of real-life wisdom addressing difficult adolescent issues: hormones, hygiene, friendships, sex and safety, transition issues, changing social and academic expectations. At a life transition that often finds parents exhausted from the daily struggle that can accompany autism, this book is the fuel they need to power themselves and empower their child on the journey to adulthood.

Wow, finally some brave soul has ventured into the never, never land of discussion on this thorny topic - adolescents on the autism spectrum. I am a parent of a child with ASD and a Speech Language Pathologist working with adolescents on the spectrum. Ms. Sicile-Kira has a good start delving into the topic. Like most information I find on ASD these days, it is pitched towards individuals who are very high functioning. That leaves many of us in the dark about the dilemmas our less functional children may face. She touches on some weighty subjects like sex, drugs, and college (forgot the rock and roll!). She does a nice job explaining options for kids who have that many options ahead of them. We are still awaiting information for kids who pass through puberty and do not gain many of the skills Ms. Sicile-Kira discusses. I believe it will be a helpful start for many families and professionals, however, I still think it is time to take my pen in hand and talk about some of the more nitty gritty aspects of parenting more affected kids.

"Chantal Sicile-Kira has written a book for parents that does not steer them down an agenda-filled path. She has instead selflessly provided readers with their fullest possible options towards the care of their autistic adolescents. Furthermore, she backs her writing up with testimony from many of the world's most notable people diagnosed along the spectrum. A thorough effort. Parents would be well-served to purchase this book."

With my own son advancing into the preteens, this book offers knowledge that would take a week for a professional in the medical and psychological fields to explain about adolescents on the Spectrum. Writen in everyday language for concerned parents to understand and appreciate. And, as I learn more about my son, I am begining to see more in my husband. For me, "Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum" not only offers help and knowledge for my son, but for my husband as well...giving me a greater strength.

I don't think that anyone in my family is on the autism spectrum, but it is a part of life nonetheless. We all know people on the spectrum. My children know kids at school and at church, etc., who have Aspergers. Autism is here to stay, and it is only left to us to learn to understand it better. Throughout the ages, great minds have reminded us to understand humanity, from Lao-tzu to Alexander Pope and beyond. You may be familiar with this concept in the quote, "The true science and the true study of man is man" (Pope).

All this to say, it's not only the parents and teachers of AS children who could do to read up on the subject. We all could use the insights. For some people, a simple overview is sufficient, such as is found in one of the newer books written for children. For others, if we are curious and compassionate, perhaps, the subject becomes more interesting the more we learn - and the field is young and growing fast.

Chantal Sicile-Kira is already an authority in this field. I have not read her other book, Autism Spectrum Disorders, but I probably will eventually. I am especially interested in the teen-aged individual right now, as we are on the cusp of those years, and the people we will be encountering will be the mainstreamed or mostly high functioning ones. One of the things that makes this book so handy is the way it is laid out. There are many sections and sub-sections, and variations in type face (not so much as to be too busy on the page), and a generous amount of white space. It is easy to read the parts that make sense, as well as to skim or skip entirely the bits that may not be helpful at the moment. There is room for notes, both penciled and sticky-paper. There is a rich and up-to-date bibliography and an equally healthy index.

Puberty and the teen years can be a difficult and awkward period for anyone. There are things that make it different for the AS child and his or her family - and this book addresses a lot of those things, simply and clearly. It also talks about planning for beyond high school, for recognizing and fighting for a life and career where the AS individual can market and use their particular skills, and not be relegated to low-paying, unsatisfying jobs because of our general cultural impression of AS people as deficient and untrainable. So many parents are so exhausted by the school and socialization process that we forget to remember about life after high school. We cannot afford to do that.

I have scanned a few more pages of the book to add to those that amazon has up for viewing, and hope that you may find them helpful.

I have this book from the public library, on inter-library loan, but I could easily see it becoming the pick on the subject - the title that one ends up electing to purchase and have for a home copy.

As my son is approaching the critical age, I started to worry even more about certain things, especially the sensitive issues like sexuality, privacy and respect for others and their personal space. This book is a great start for those in search for answers about adolescence and autism; it's probably geared more toward those at the high-functioning end of the spectrum, but it also provides good information and valuable ideas for those on the less functional end. Chantal Sicile-Kira did a wonderful job covering important issues and provided useful guidance based not only on personal experience, but also on the experience of other people impacted by autism and their family members. I would definitely recommend this book.

I purchased this book for my daughter who is the parent of a teenager with autism disorders. She said she could not put the book down the day she received it in the mail.

This book is a wonderful follow-up to Sicile-Kira's invaluable "Autism Spectrum Disorders." The adolescent years bring new bumps in the road for ASD kids and their families. This well researched and articulated guide helps ASD families anticipate and navigate these challenges. Sicile-Kira offers thorough, thoughtful, and balanced suggestions. As a high school administrator and a member of a university autism research study team, I highly recommend "Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum."