With clarity and compassion, Dr. Robert Sears guides the reader through the maze of autism, explaining what precautions parents can take to decrease their baby's risk, how to detect autism at the earliest possible age, and how to proceed once a diagnosis has been made. The book provides parents with a simple and clear understanding of the biomedical treatment approach that Dr. Sears has used successfully with many of his young patients. It lays out a plan for developmental, behavioral, and learning therapies; shows parents how to begin treatments without a doctor's help; presents information on vaccines and their safe use; and includes an extensive resources section. THE AUTISM BOOK provides all the information and reassurance parents need.
Robert W. Sears, MD, is a father of three, board-certified in Pediatrics, and a co-author in the Sears Parenting Library. "Dr. Bob", as he likes to be called by his little patients, earned his medical degree at Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1995. He did his pediatric internship and residency at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, finishing in 1998. Dr. Bob is the proud father of three active boys, Andrew, age 15, Alex, age 12, and Joshua age 6. He and his wife, Cheryl, reside in Dana Point, CA. In his spare time Dr. Bob enjoys surfing the California waves, mountain biking, playing bass guitar with his teenage son guitarist, and trying to keep up with his three children.
Dr. Bob enjoys a very unique approach to pediatrics by providing a combination of alternative and traditional medical care. He has a passion for healthy natural living and incorporates this knowledge into a style of disease treatment and prevention that you won't find in most doctors offices. By limiting antibiotic use, using science-based natural treatment approaches whenever possible, and focusing on good nutrition and immune system health, Dr. Bob takes preventative medicine to a whole new level. His commitment to breastfeeding success for all his patients also helps babies get a right start in life.
Dr. Bob has a particular passion for helping parents understand childhood vaccines and the options open to them in choosing the safest possible vaccine schedule for their child. As the solo author of The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child, his in-depth knowledge of vaccines and the diseases they prevent has helped parents nationwide get a better understanding of this complex and confusing issue.
Having had the privilege to help raise three active boys, Dr. Bob has grown fond of the "parenting" side of pediatrics. He especially enjoys talking to parents in his practice about the joys, and trials, of watching their little babies and toddlers thrive through the first several years of life.
Dr. Bob is committed to enjoying a slow-paced, casual atmosphere in the office, providing long checkups, giving parents the flexibility to ask for house calls at home when needed and being one of the very few Orange County pediatricians to be available after hours, overnight, and on weekends for phone calls and home visits. Because he is not contracted with any insurance companies he is able to focus his attention 100% on just being a doctor without having to worry about the business side of running an insurance-based office. His patients take care of billing their own insurance themselves and find that once they learn the process it is very easy.
Dr. Bob has appeared on the Dr. Phil show to offer advice on child behavior and parenting issues. He has also appeared on the Ellen DeGeneris show, CNN's House Calls with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the CBS Early Show, and PBS's "A Place of Our Own".
Dr. Bob is a frequent speaker at La Leche League conferences, including Colorado, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, California/Nevada and the International LLL Conference 2007 as well as various parenting health Expos. He has written for Contemporary Pediatrics, Newsweek Japan, and dozen's of regional parenting magazines across the nation. Dr. Bob is co-author of The Updated Baby Book, The Premature Baby Book, The Baby Sleep Book 2005 and Father's First Steps: 25 Things Every New Dad Should Know and author of The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for your Child and an active contributor to the content of AskDrSears.com and several other parenting websites. He is also a regular contributor to Working Mother magazine.
