Customer Reviews

Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Finding a Diagnosis and Getting Help

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There is not a better book on the market that can give you the information that Mitzi Waltz has brought to the reader with this book. It's a plethora of information in easy to understand terminology, yet deligentely and intelligently written.

As a mother with 4 children with neurological disorders, 2 of which belonging to the PDD Spectrum, I can tell you that I would have given my left arm to have this collective works when we were just starting down our Holland© path.

If you have ANY type of connection to the PDD world, be it parent, grandparent, relative, self, spouse, teacher, pastor, friend or doctor, HERE is where you'll find the answers.

Thank you Mitzi Waltz!

I found this book to be very helpful. When I purchased this book I was so greatful, that finally someone understood how i felt as a parent. This book gives you the background information that will educate parents on how to address their child's needs. It gives detailed info on medication, IEPS, clinics, websites and even information concerning patterns to teach the child. this book is worth every dime.I have a eight year old son with PDD nos... and it is hard, but i admit some of the techniques in this book was helpful and it gave alternatives to medication. this book make you feel that you are not alone. Our children are special too and they deserve the best care and this book offer the information that most people on the outside will not provide... Thank you (A mother in MI)

This is a must have book for the parents of a newly diagnosed child having PDD. Ms. Waltz gives a comprehensive account what a parent should, can, and legally ought to do for their child. She covers getting a diagnosis, medical interventions, insurance, schools, support and advocacy, etc. This book is a great place for parents to start. Once you have this base line education, you can better research possible interventions for your child and thus formulate an effective plan for your child. My daughter is now 5 yrs. old. She was first diagnosed when she was 3 yrs. old. All I could find on PDD then was articles written by pyschologists on whether or not the label should exist! Thank you Ms. Waltz.

As the parents of a three-year boy diagnosed with PDD-NOS in Jan. 2002, my wife and I are quickly devouring as much information on the subject as we can as we begin to advocate for our son's future (therapy, special education, behavior modification methods and possible nutritional/dietary changes). We have purchased or read nearly twenty books on the subject and, by far, Mitzi Waltz' summary of this broad spectrum disorder is the most well organized and written summary we have found.

Here is a list of chapters/appendices of the book:

1. THE MEDICAL FACTS ABOUT PDDs
2. PDD CATEGORIES
3. GETTING A DIAGNOSIS
4. GETTING STARTED
5. MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS
6. THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS
7. OTHER INTERVENTIONS
8. INSURANCE
9. SCHOOL (EXCELLENT DISCUSSION OF IEPs, 504's, EDUCATION OPTIONS)
10. FAMILY
11. FINANCES
12. SUPPORT
13. LIVING WITH PDDs
A. RESOUCES (OUTSTANDING LIST OF BOOKS, WEBSITES)
B. SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY (A ONE-STOP SHOPPING LIST OF AUTISM SOCIETIES/SUPPORT GROUPS WITH ADDRESSES, PHONE #'S, INTERNET SITES)
C. RESEARCH AND TESTING FACILITIES
D. MEDICAL REFERENCE
E. SUPPLEMENT REFERENCE
F. DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS
NOTES
GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS (A MUST FOR ANYONE NEW TO PDDs)
INDEX (EXCELLENT WAY TO PINPOINT YOUR NEEDS)

Several other excellent books tell the personal accounts of parents as they come to grips with the aftermath of a diagnosis and are wonderful therapy for parents to validate their feelings and outlooks. The Waltz book is written in plain language while covering the topic in a comprehensive and logical manner. It will serve as a reference for my family for years to come and I highly recommend it to EVERY parent who faces the challenges of living day-to-day with a child/adult diagnosed with a Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Thank you Mitzi!...

As the mother of a 27 year old woman who has a Pervasive Developmental Disorder and as the editor of an international newsletter on the subject, I found this book to be what I would have wanted when my daughter was first diagnosed. The book is written in compattionate style and contains vital information for both new and very experienced parents of individuals with PDD. I would recommend this to all parents whose children fit the diagnostic criteria for any of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders.

This book provides timely, accurate information about PDD/Therapies/Drug and possible cause of Autism. This book was very helpful to my wife and I. This book was published in July 99 so the information is very current. If you have a PDD child or Autisic child I would recommend this book.

I knew my son had autism nearly one year ago. In trying to research this disorder, there were literally HUNDREDS of books to choose from. I wanted a book that would enable me to move from feeling helpless to feeling knowledgeable enough to make decisions for my son. Autism is very complex, and there are many options, theories, therapies, treatments, etc. This book was extremely thorough, yet concise. Mitzi Waltz does an excellant job of covering EVERY different option for these children without getting too detailed. I wish this book had been my 'first read' on the subject of autism.

This book is a must for all parents who fear that their toddler is not meeting developmental milestones. It provides great summary information about a diagnosis of PDD, possible therapies,etc. with being overly pessimistic or optimistic.

Mitzi Waltz has thoroughly researched and documented the tragedy and triumph of getting a diagnosis for PDD. The tests and resources are invauable and most is unprecedented. This is a great book for families and professionals. It's light in the biological treatments aspects and heavy in the drugs section but there are other books to serve that purpose, such as William Shaw's "Biological Treatments of Autism and PDD" or Karyn Seroussi's upcoming "Unraveling the Mystery of Autism". It is certainly the best all-around beginners book I have seen to date. Kudos to Ms. Waltz.

This is the definative guide for PDD-NOS, but also extremely helpful for use with our son who has Asperger Syndrome. Waltz covers the issue from every angle, including alternative treatments as well as conventional. Knowledge is power and Waltz gives parents the tools in this book to help our children in a powerful way. My son's pschiatrist borrowed this book from ME and said she learned a lot from it.