Customer Reviews

Thinking Person's Guide To Autism

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As a pediatrician and mom to an 8 year old autistic boy, I found this book to be authentic and spot on. The book addresses practical autism issues like parental/caregiver stress, planning for your child's future, meltdowns, potential guilt over not refusing vaccines and not trying the myriad of costly pseudoscience treatments, the role of the education system, friends, therapists, and medications. Many of the topics were blog posts from various internet sites; thus, they read like a collection of greatest hits by parents and specialists affected by autism in their own lives. THEY GET IT. They share their joy, sorrow, anger, mistakes and speak of real solutions not false promises of cure. Even as a well read medical provider and parent, I still learned from this book. Some of the topics covered are short on detail, but the reader is referred to other quality sources for in depth coverage.

Thinking Person's Guide To Autism has set a new standard for special needs parenting books. It is packed with the practical, helpful and necessary information parents need to know--but it also offers much comfort, hope and inspiration. While it's an outstanding first book to reach for after a diagnosis of autism, those in the throes of autism parenting or who have grown children will also discover much that is useful. And this guide isn't just relevant to autism; I have a child with cerebral palsy, and found so much in the book insightful, from dealing with meltdowns to creating a Special Education PTA.

Each chapter is written by a different person: one of the authors (the five women behind the TPGA site), top experts, powerful voices from the blogosphere and beyond, and well-known advocates including Holly Robinson Peete and Susan Senator. There's step-by-step info, explanations of various therapies, resources, debunking of myths, heartfelt musings on acceptance, hard-hitting looks at causes, treatment, education and inclusion. The essays are beautifully written, moving and smart; one of my favorites is "Buying Hope" by Jennifer Byde Myers (mom to a child with autism and cerebral palsy) about the endless products and potions we parents purchase to help our kids, and how to avoid wasting your money and emotional energy.

I've been turned off by other guidebooks for special needs parenting because I've found them to be negative, unrealistic or both. Thinking Person's Guide To Autism, however, is empowering and all about real life. You'll want to read this book not because you "should" but because you will be grateful that you did; it's bound to improve your life as the parent of a child with special needs, and your child's life, too.

An excellent, comprehensive, balanced and very readable collection of essays that answer all of the questions you might have about autism. This book illuminates the way forward for both parents of autistic children and adults who are starting to recognize autism in themselves. Far away from the stereotype of Rainman and the emotional blame-game surrounding vaccines, The Thinking Person's Guide To Autism presents a thoughtful picture of the realities of autism as told by parents, professionals, and most importantly, autistic people themselves, who are all too often ignored by those who would purport to help them.

My son was diagnosed as moderately/severely autistic 2 years ago at age 2.5 and in those 2 years I have spent countless hours researching anything and everything about autism. I have wasted a lot of time on unproven theories and methods, and have had a lot of worry about therapies, the school system and his future. I could have saved myself a lot of time, money, and stress if this guidebook had only been released 3 years ago. When we first had our suspicions about our son, we were told: "He's just a boy, wait until he is 3, you are overreacting...", but it is so important not to wait! If you are a parent who suspects that your child is autistic, you have come to the right place. Order this book now and start off on your journey with a sound autism education. Read it, then give it to anyone who is going to come in contact with your child -- it really helps for everyone on your "team" to be on the same page, especially grandparents (old autism stereotypes die hard, but this book will help). The editors have done all of the hard work for you and sifted through the immense mountain of falsehoods and hype surrounding autism -- putting together a complete and sensible guidebook for living with autism and helping autistic people function in a neurotypical world. Autism is not the end of the world, and in fact can be quite a gift -- but you need to educate yourself to navigate the world of autism. The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism is an excellent place to start.

As a practicing pediatrician and parent, I highly recommend this book.

TPGA is a readable collection of short essays from people whose lives have been changed by autism. The book provides real, practical help from those in the trenches; combining experience and expertise in a refreshing way.

The unique personalities of the individual contributors shine. Authors include parents and caregivers whose knowledge is shared as, "I wish someone would have told me" accounts. Therapists and teachers offer help to guide through the maze of educational planning. Adults with autism vividly describe the challenges of independent living. All the while, the various writers never "tell" the reader what decision would be best for every child; creating a palatable, "un-preachy" collection.

TPGA expands the impact of the essays by providing specific evidence-based references.

The passionate group of writers openly discuss the challenges and differences that are involved in raising autistic children. From feeding issues to sexuality, readers are linked to helpful places to collect a team of support for children and adults. The book also provides practical resources for planning for a child's financial future, educational services, and IEPs. Finally, TPGA hosts a full chapter devoted to movies, books, online resources, and reputable blogs.

Real emotion and real advice is oozing from the pages of TPGA.

The book shares the impact of autism on the whole family. The authors discuss the stress on marriages, the desperation of relatives, and the support of strangers. The raw stories of sadness and guilt are redeemed by the essence of understanding and hope.

The book highlights the character and strength of those affected by the spectrum of autistic disorders. There is honesty. It is refreshing. There is reflection and experience. It is challenging. And what drips from its pages from beginning to end is the journey of love, respect, and individuality that all parents want for their children.

TGPA is a must-read for parents, friends, family members, counselors, and physicians whose lives intersect with individuals with autism. My copy has been placed on the top shelf of my bookcase with other favorite medical and parenting books.

This book is a compendium of articles from a variety of voices who articulate their own experiences with autism. A number of different issues are addressed, so it is a good reference for newcomers to the autism diagnosis as well as those who have been dealing with the issues for years. Highly recommended.

Cheers and congratulations to Shannon Des Roches Rosa, Jennifer Byde Myers, Liz Ditz, Emily Willingham, and Carol Greenburg, the editors of Thinking Person's Guide to Autism. The fifty-odd writers that they assembled for this book include parents, bloggers, adults with autism, therapists, and teachers. I was hooked from the first essay, "Bring Everyone Out," in which Kyra Anderson lays the groundwork for TPGA's broad array of opinions and perspectives about autism.

I hesitate to even begin to list all of the essays that I liked, because so many of them were so excellent. I loved the raw, honest "An Open Letter to Special Needs Professionals," by Pia Prenevost, and the companion essay that followed it, "Why I Can't Breathe Tonight," by an Anonymous Special Needs Professional. I appreciated the essays about what to expect from SLP's, OT's, and other professionals. I also loved the practical advice about feeding issues, sensory issues, travel challenges, and medication dilemmas. I could go on and on; there's just so much here. You'll just have to read this book, which I heartily recommend that you do.

Not that many years ago, when we were just converging on an autism diagnosis for my child, I would have given up body parts to have had access to an array of thinkers like these. I would have argued with some of them, but all of them would have challenged me, informed me, and inspired me to think critically. At the time, it seemed that every person I encountered -- every parent, every doctor, every therapist -- had a different opinion about what caused autism, what might help our family to live and thrive with autism, and even what words we ought to use. It's easy for someone with a new diagnosis -- whether they are a parent, a spouse, or an adult with autism -- to have no idea where to turn or what to do.

Let's face it: autism is largely a mystery, even to families like mine who live with it every day. I'm not suggesting that you, Gentle Reader, will agree with all of the essays; you couldn't possibly, because the beauty of this book is the manner in which it showcases diverse viewpoints with depth, clarity and respect. Fans of biomedical and alternative approaches may not like all of the opinions expressed, but the writers state their cases with seriousness and support and urge the readers to think for themselves.

* Here's a disclaimer that is actually a further recommendation: I had a tiny part in this project. As a fan of the TPGA blog, I was so anxious to see the book, I volunteered to help proofread the completed manuscript. I admit it -- I was jumping at the chance to get an advance peek. My proofreading went slowly, because I kept getting caught up in reading the book! I am so proud to have had the teensiest part to play, and I congratulate the editors and authors for the success of their wonderful book.

Bobbi Sheahan
Author (with Kathy DeOrnellas, Ph.D.), What I Wish I'd Known About Raising a Child With Autism

This is an excellent autism resource for parents,teachers, and other professionals who work with the Spectrum population on some level. I bought an extra copy for my son's school library/special education resource room.
Autism is so very many different things that I think we sometimes become overwhelmed, and we resort to the parent version of squeezing our eyes shut and covering our ears. This relatively normal response is particularly unhelpful to both those individuals who work with the autistic population and our loved ones with autism.
The book is a straight-forward and far more beneficial option to the "eyes shut/ears covered" response.
One aspect of this particular book that I personally liked is that the information is presented in sort of an a la cart fashion--find for what you want, what you need, and then come later for something else when you need that. This takes the edge off being overwhelmed by a long shot. One of the clearest memories I have from when my son was diagnosed was the anxiety of being overloaded with information. Don't misunderstand me--the information is absolutely there, it is simply that the information is presented in a way that is not overwhelming.
As a parent and a teacher, I know the alone-ness of having a special needs child and I know that it is a hard and long search to find your place among parents in similar situations. I'm not entirely sure I've found mine place yet.
This book provides insight directly into that feeling--snapshots, if you will--of what other parents go through.
Wow, I would have LOVED to have that in my early days!
Finally, I think we are just now beginning to find an effective middle-ground approach to working with autistic individuals and the book focuses on that without bias or judgement. After researching and consulting with my son's doctors, it was obvious that GFCF or gluten-free was not our first, or most practical, or even ever necessary move. I still felt really, really guilty about it, and that's the last thing the parent of a special needs child needs. This book would have helped to breach the chasm between the choice and the guilt because another standout point the book makes is that there are no complete absolutes regarding autism. As Dr. stanley Greenspan said, "if you meet one autistic child, then you've met one autistic child."
True That.