Could It Be Autism?: A Parent's Guide to the First Signs and Next Steps [Hardcover]

Nancy Wiseman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 10, 2006

If you have questions or concerns about your child’s social, emotional, or behavioral development, you’re not alone. The number of children affected by autism—an umbrella term for a wide spectrum of disorders that includes “classic” autism, Asperger's syndrome, and Rett syndrome—is growing every year. Most children are not diagnosed until they start school. But developmental problems can be recognized in infants as young as four months old. Early intervention can vastly improve a child’s chances for a successful outcome and recovery. Could It Be Autism? provides vital information so you can recognize the red flags of developmental delays and begin treatment based on those first signs.

Nancy Wiseman is the founder and president of First Signs, the organization dedicated to educating parents, clinicians, and physicians on the early identification of and intervention for developmental delays. She is also the mother of a child who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two, and she draws on her own experiences as well as the latest research to present real strategies. Emphasizing warning signs, she describes the most important milestones at each stage of a child’s growth, including things parents and pediatricians often overlook. She also empowers parents to act on their instincts and initial concern, rather than to “wait and see,” which is often encouraged.

The book explains the steps parents can take to confirm or rule out a developmental delay or disorder. It details various diagnoses and show how sometimes multiple diagnoses may apply. But even more valuable is the information on how to design and implement the best intervention plan based on a child’s unique developmental profile. Different treatments and therapies are outlined so parents can explore and understand what may work best for their child, based on his or her particular strengths and weaknesses.

Ultimately, Could It Be Autism? is about giving parents hope--hope that they can know one way or the other where their child is developmentally and hope that they can give their child what he or she needs to have the best life possible.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For parents worried about their children's development, Wiseman, president of a developmental disorder awareness organization and the mother of an autistic child, promotes a rigorous approach to identifying autism warning signs, stressing early diagnosis as a crucial component of securing proper post-diagnosis treatment. Writing conversationally, Wiseman covers all the autism bases-symptom detection, diagnosis, treatment options, redefining parental obligation-in 10 topical chapters, splicing comments from parents of autistic children with advocacy information, the latter of which is plentiful and hard-nosed. Public schools' special education programs and government-funded development therapy initiatives are taken to task, with Wiseman warning parents "you must always be prepared to fight" and suggesting parents brush up on relevant laws, reach out to advocacy organizations and community groups, and, above all, be the child's unflinching advocate. Wiseman's approach does not get bogged down in the minutia of endless record keeping, instead favoring a big picture approach and a checklist of "social, emotional, and communication milestones" designed to allow parents to keep track of a child's development beginning at four months of age. Packed with clear-cut suggestions, this book will be a valuable resource for parents facing weighty questions about their child's behavior.
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Review

“This is a very-well-written, informative, and, at the same time, hopeful book from which both parents and professionals will learn. I can’t wait to recommend it to the families we see.” —Catherine Lord, Ph.D., Director, University of Michigan Autism and Communication Disorders Center (UMACC)


“Nancy Wiseman provides detailed steps of everything parents need to do from the moment they suspect their child may be delayed. I wish I had this book when my grandson was diagnosed with autism. This book is a gift to parents and grandparents who find themselves on the autism road but need a map.” —Suzanne Wright, cofounder, Autism Speaks
 
“I wish I’d had this book when I needed it. Reading Could It Be Autism? may help parents identify at-risk children and start intervention early enough to possibly slow or halt the development of autism. This book is a potential lifesaver.” —Christina Adams,
author of A Real Boy: A True Story of Autism, Early Intervention and Recovery

“Nancy Wiseman’s gem of a book is so surprising in that there is not one paragraph that does not inform, clarify, and reassure. The author is like an expert friend, several steps ahead, who never fails to turns around, gently leading parents where they need to go. This book reduces the heartbreak, offers hope, and empowers parents so they can provide optimal and timely treatment for their child.” —Demitri F. Papolos, M.D., and Janice Papolos, coauthors of The Bipolar Child

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Crown Archetype; 1 edition (January 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767919726
• ISBN-13: 978-0767919722
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,339,942 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Since 1999, Nancy D. Wiseman has made a significant contribution to changing policy, improving awareness, and changing pediatric practice in how we screen, refer, and detect young children today. As the founder and president of First Signs, a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate professionals and parents about the early warning signs of autism and related disorders, Nancy is dedicating her life to improving the lives of children and families affected by developmental disorders. Before devoting herself to First Signs, Nancy worked in corporate communications for over 20 years. She counsels parents nationwide and she has appeared in interviews with USA Today, Parents Magazine, NBC's Today Show, and Larry King Live. She is the author of Could It Be Autism? A Parent's Guide to the First Signs and Next Steps (Broadway Books, 2006) and The First Year: Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed Child (Da Capo Press, 2009). Nancy is the mother of Sarah, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. Today--at age 13--Sarah stands as a powerful example of the impact that early identification and intensive intervention can have on young children with autism and related disorders. Nancy is the 2006 recipient of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Dale Richmond/Justin Coleman Award for her outstanding achievement in the field of child development.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone has a potential. Help find it., January 16, 2006

By 

George R. Shadie "Hopeful Parent" (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Could It Be Autism?: A Parent's Guide to the First Signs and Next Steps (Hardcover)

Our son was diagnosed at 4.5, 12 years ago, when it was "diagnose and adios"! Had we had this concise and easy to read book, the pain, frustration and suffering could have been greatly minimized. This is a universal book for parents, family, friends, professionals and all parties interested in ameliorating the conditions of the special needs population. It's inciteful, honest and informative. If you have the slightest doubt about your child's potential or that you are doing all you can to help that person reach their fullest potential, read this book. Ms. Wiseman has artfully combined the scientific approach of a professional with the passion of a parent, to give us options to explore, something that has taken many of us too much lost precious time in dead ends and insensitive, uninformed and arrogant bureaucrats. Do this wonderful and usually neglected population a huge service by reading this book and recommending it to someone involved. Make a difference, one person at a time!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Could It Be Autism?: A Parent's Guide to First Signs and Next Steps, January 16, 2006

By 

Mary L. Barbera - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Could It Be Autism?: A Parent's Guide to the First Signs and Next Steps (Hardcover)

Nancy Wiseman has done an amazing job of taking ton of complicated information and making it easy to understand.

My son was diagnosed with autism at age 3 even though my husband had suspicions when he was 21 months old. We lost more than a year of services until he was finally diagnosed. I wish this book would have been available in 1999 when I needed it. Could This Be Autism? will be a tremendous resource to both families and pediatricians. I recommend it highly!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-written guide to early signs of autism...with one flaw, March 26, 2006

By 

LIZARD "LIZARD" (RI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Could It Be Autism?: A Parent's Guide to the First Signs and Next Steps (Hardcover)

I just finished this book and want to commend Nancy Wiseman for writing a book I wish I'd had more than 10 years ago, when I first suspected something was "wrong" with my son. As early as 2 months old, he was showing signs of what I have since learned were indications of hypersensitivity toward certain stimuli. He couldn't stand to be held, even as a tiny baby, and it broke my heart and scared me to death. His doctors were utterly clueless, and I essentially had to tell THEM that I was sure it was autism after more than a year of voracious research. Ms. Wiseman's book could have spared me a great deal of heartache in that regard, as she hones in on several things I noticed in my son as an infant: the lost eye contact, lack of acknowledgement from facial expressions or hearing his name called, running into the street when I screamed frantically for him to stop and come back, the severe tantrums over absolutely nothing...I could go on and on.

I said four stars, though, because it's a book written as a guide to parents and starts to go into therapies, but it stops short of being a comprehensive guide of that sort. She talks about Floor Time, the therapy created by Dr. Stanley Greenspan, which I understand is a good option for many kids, but there are so many others, and we don't hear word one about them. What about Occupational Therapy for sensory issues? ABA? The GF/CF diet? What about Incidental Teaching, the therapy my son has received for the past 8 years, which has worked wonders on his behaviors and abilities?

If Ms. Wiseman had stopped at exploring the early signs and telling parents how to get professionals to appreciate the need to act sooner, rather than later, in getting a thorough evaluation and proper diagnosis so treatment can start, rather than deciding to branch off from there and go into her daughter's therapy, I would see the book as a more balanced account for parents who are scared and overwhelmed and are desperate for validation from someone who knows exactly how it feels to be viewed as a "hysterical" parent.