Autism: Preparing for Adulthood [Paperback]

Patricia Howlin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415115329 | ISBN-13: 978-0415115322 | Publication Date: December 28, 1996 | Edition: 1

Autism is a life-long, often devastating disorder, that profoundly affects almost every aspect of an individual's functioning. Impairments in communication limit the ability to understand what is happening or why, and make it almost impossible to effectively control events, or people or the enviroment. Autism: Preparing for Adulthood focuses on adults with autism and their families. By using information from research studies and treatment programmes, it provides a practical resource for parents, carers and autistic people themselves.
Autism: Preparing for Adulthood discusses the problems and the solutions related to educational and occupational attainments, ways of coping with psychiatric and other difficulties, and how to foster independence in later life. The focus is not on 'cures' or 'miracles' but on the improvement in the quality of life for all concerned.
It is essential reading for professionals in training and practice in special needs, speech and language therapy, social workers, social services personnel, psychiatrists, psychologists, paediatricians, young adults with autism, their families and carers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Practical advice and clear case study material will make the text useful for practitioners and carers... a valuable and additional resource.' - Autism, The International Journal of Research and Practice

'Howlin's book raises ethical and professional issues relevant to everyone...well-documented and innovative...illuminated by her extensive experience in working with autistic children and adults.' - Times Educational Supplement --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (December 28, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415115329
• ISBN-13: 978-0415115322
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,313,470 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very informative book for all ages, January 4, 2000

By 

Michele Grasso (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Autism: Preparing for Adulthood (Paperback)

When I first thought about buying this book for my local Aspen NJ support group, I thought it would be most helpful for people with older children. However, upon reading this excellent book I learned that it is a good book for people whose children have just been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, PDD/NOS or high-functioning autism as well as those with older children.

The book provides practical information for parents of young children to think about in planning a program for their child by giving some ideas about what the future may hold. It lets you know some ways to change things now and work on behaviors now by showing how they may play out in the future with or without intervention.

Most of all, the author does not pretend to have one solution for all people diagnosed with autism, and clearly states that they are individuals with differing cognitive and functioning levels. The case studies, however, help to understand some of these individuals which may help you with your own child.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative and eye opening!, March 18, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Autism: Preparing for Adulthood (Paperback)

This book "sheds light" on the reality of the daily struggles encountered by high functioning, teen-to-adult autistics. I concider this a "must read" for anyone who knows an autistic person. As a parent of an older teen (high-functioning) autistic, I saw in this book a way to help educate and give understanding of my son (and his disability) to all my friends and family members. I have also shared this book with the professionals in my son's life since so many times an autistic person ends up having the side-effects of their autism treated instead of the autism itself.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Painfully Accurate REAL! picture of my own Adult AUTISM!, April 9, 2003

By 

THE AUTISTIC WEREWOLF "Wolf D." (Baltimore, Maryland USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Autism: Preparing for Adulthood (Paperback)

My name is Wolf. I am a single 43 year old autistic adult with cerebral palsy and other disabilities. I live alone. I have no interest beyond civil co-existance with most people. I am not interested in sex or human intimacy. I've found from painful experience, the entirely random nature of all rules and expectations governing love romance and associated friendship behaviors, are far too complex for my kind. Doctors gave up on me as an autistic retard at birth. On finding I was autistic my biological father gave me up as hopeless at birth and ran off. Only my grandparents by refusing to let me be institutionalized saved me. Only my grandparents steadfast insistance got me the meager medical care received in youth.

Still growing up was hard without any real autism specific help at all. I got into fights 4 days out of every five in from K through 12 for many of the reasons given in this book. Even my great grandmother who loved me called me black hearted because, I did not like people. I was labelled a retard by most people because of my gulliability, ultra literal understanding of the human world, zoning out into my won world, not answeruing when called and other things unique to autism. I hated kids, school, physical education pretty much all the complex and social things of youth. My joy was being alone in my room with my science experiements. I exhibited most of the social interpersonal communication sins and inappropriate behaviors this book speaks of in detail. My grandmother called me a Lonewolf and anti-social yet helping me was her constant struggle till the day she died.

I did not even notice I was the one with the problem till I was 18 years old, until then I had always thought others had the problems and I was normal. My existance was logical, predicatable it had order. I discovered the rules\laws, developed systems to insure my adherance to the rules and lived an ordered life as prescribed by society how could I be abnormal. At age 18 I found I was different I embraced and learned to love being a Lonewolf. I am a Lonewolf I did not have medical help and support for my autism all during my life. I had to claw and scrape in society fending for myself against all odds like a feral child thrown into the world of man. I had to live in human society I did not understand by adapting and surviving in this strange and alien world of humans which makes me a Lonewolf something I am proud to be now.

In 40 years I had 5 jobs and held no job longer than 6 months. After going to college for computer science at age 40, I got a job I have held for almost three years as a Information Specialist with the government. I still have autism related issues on the job but the people I work with help me because they are too awesomely kind to let me fail. Still I had troubles with outbursts and inappropriate functioning at work and since there are no resources for adult autistic folk I looked to books on the subject. I have lived with Autism 43 years surviving on my own in this strange world of man and in all that time I have never experienced a book that so completely validated and explained why humans react as they do to those things of autism that are to me my natural state of functioning. If you are an adult with Autism this book is a MUST BUY MUST HAVE ITEM! This book made me sad as it reminded me of many of the horrid things I experienced in my youth, and understanding why now sort of hurts. However this book shows I did VERY WELL all my surviving and adapting on my own. The book tells me by holding a good high paying job, owning my home and living alone dispite all my remaining autism related issues I am well blessed even compared to the more fortunate others who had autism specific intervention in youth. This book was a true joy to me. This book gave me hope for the future and pain that is the birthplace of wisdom by helping me understand the humans in my autistic past to me what I have gained is priceless. As an autistic adult I thank GOD for this book. This BOOK was a MUST BUY ITEM FOR ME!