17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very comprehensive, May 28, 2010
This review is from: Cutting-Edge Therapies for Autism 2010-2011 (Paperback)
Thank you!!! There is so much information out there about autism (and sadly, still so much we still don't know) that this compendium is an absolute gift from Heaven. I am one year in from my daughter's diagnosis of autism. She is now 4 years old and we are very much in the thick of things regarding treatment options and therapies. This book has been great about including just about every methodological treatment and approach (that is, both biomedical and traditional therapies) used to treat Autism Spectrum Disorders today. They talk about ABA therapy, special diets like gluten-free casein-free diets, floortime, aquatic therapy, chelation, Son-Rise, occupational therapy, marijuana, parasites, physical therapy, and much more. (Can you tell that this really runs the gamut of possibilities?)
The authors cut through autism politics by allowing practitioners of these therapies to present their approach in their own words. The book is arranged with each treatment having a single essay/article ranging anywhere from 2 to 8 pages compiled in alphabetical order. This may be unhelpful to some parents first investigating autism treatments simply because there is no overall voice telling them which treatments are more effective, widespread, researched, or recommended. There is also no voice to counter any one of these treatments by describing any dangers or adverse effects, relying on the contributors to critique their own approaches. Clearly, there can be a downside to this. But I believe that Siri and Lyons calculated that it was more important to avoid the controversies and politics so common in autism circles which can sink any autism treatment book from the beginning. Instead, they felt that parents were better served by having the compendium with comprehensive information in a single place. Think of this book as a starting point for investigation. When an approach seems worth investigating, do further research on that approach than what is found in the book.
The only other possible criticism I have is about the contributors themselves. In some instances, a therapeutic approach is described by a founder or key practitioner of that particular approach. Some articles are authored simply by a certified therapist. But a problem with either of these is that while the therapeutic approach may be very highly recommended, the author may not have adequately explained its methodology, may not fully engage the reader, or poorly represent its benefits and/or shortcomings. In essence, it may be that a certified practitioner or even the founder of a methodology is not the best salesman for that same methodology. I found some of the essays were more compelling or more accessible/easily readable than others. I urge that readers keep this in mind when reading this book--try to glean the information and not necessarily reject an article because it may not have been the most effective author who wrote it. For instance, I personally found the ABA therapy article a bit boring -- though ABA is the most widely recommended approach and we've had much success with it for our daughter. On the other hand, I found the marijuana article very compelling, but I am unsure about whether or not it is appropriate for my own daughter.
I am so grateful that this book is available. The sheer volume of information out there is overwhelming. Siri and Lyons have done a tremendous service for parents like me.
If you found this review helpful, please let me know.
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35 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
4 Stars for Content, 2 Stars for Arrangement, March 26, 2010
This review is from: Cutting-Edge Therapies for Autism 2010-2011 (Paperback)
I am very familiar with ASD biomedical therapies and I admit that I have only spent an hour or so browsing through this book so far. I agree that this book is a great place to start for Parents, Therapists, Teachers, and Practitioners who are new to Autism Spectrum Disorders and biomedical therapies. This book appears to be largely a collection of professional articles, well-referenced and with recommended readings, but some of these articles are also available on the Internet. The content covers some truly ground-breaking therapies -- I was impressed that Respen-A was included (our son has experienced significant success with this therapy) -- but also behavioral therapies such as ABA that have been around for YEARS. I would have liked to have seen references to Bal-A-Vis-X, Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique (NAET), and Auditory therapies. Perhaps they are mentioned in the book and I have not yet discovered them; a major disadvantage to this book is that it ** does not contain an index **!!! The book is arranged alphabetically by therapy, so unless you have a specific therapy in mind, or have time to read this 511 page book cover-to-cover, you may miss some information you are seeking. About me: I am a former Librarian and mother of a 6-year-old son recovering from Autism and ADHD.
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18 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The first to include virtually every treatment, March 20, 2010
This review is from: Cutting-Edge Therapies for Autism 2010-2011 (Paperback)
I rarely give a 5 star review. Here's why CETFA gets one. The book has almost every therapy you can think of, from anti-epileptic meds to behavioral therapies like ABA and RDI and then covers the vast array of so called "alternative" treatments that are really working for so many kids. It doesn't show any bias toward one or the other. If you're a parent of a newly diagnosed child, this book can help you decide which route to take - straight traditional with meds and therapy or the addition of much more from the biomed side of treatment. My disclosure is that I am publishing a book with Skyhorse myself and I am on the cover of this book. But I only agreed to be on the cover because I feel strongly that this book is a must for parents of young kids just diagnosed through old timers (like me) who need to revamp their treatment options for their child. I'd buy a copy for the pediatrician, neurologist and school team too.
KIM
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