Customer Reviews

The World of the Autistic Child : Understanding and Treating Autistic Spectrum Disorders

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I have read the paperback version of this book. I found the descriptions of autism, pdd & other autistic spectrum disorders a little confusing - I do not have a Phd in Psychiatry or Psychology and at some points felt like I needed one to understand the terminology, charts, etc. I also found the separation of autism & pdd to be confusing. I was also suprised to learn that most autistic children are also mentally retarded (I have seen no evidence of this with my son). The author seems to be against mainstreaming autistic children, as with all autistic children, the decision should be made on an individual basis & what is best for the child. I did find the chapters on teaching extremely helpful and the author does give parents info on how to get a diagnosis & where to go from there - I wish I'd had that 2 yrs ago. Anyway, I think this would be a very good book for parents of newly diagnosed autistic/pdd children or parents who feel their child may be autistic/pdd but need more info.

Overall, I thought this book was well written with a lot of information regarding autistic spectrum disorders. I am though somewhat concerned about the accuracy of the information as it compares to all the other information that I have read over the last few months. It seems as though the research may be either out-dated or not applicable to a lot of the children who are being diagnoised on the spectrum these days. From what I read, in some parts of the country, 1 out of 400 children are being diagnoised under the spectrum. Certainly, the 80% and 50% mental retardation rates given to autistic and PDD groups, respectively, doesn't seem correct given the current "evolving definition of autism and related disorders." Given the array of differing diagnoses a child can receive I would be very careful in reading this book and thinking that this is what the future holds for your child.

Dreadful book--I read this in the early days of looking for information on my daughter, and I found it depressing and unhelpful. There are a lot of books out there now that can help you help your child. This emphatically is not one of them. Read Steven Gutstein, Stanley Greenspan, and Catherine Maurice if you want to teach your child using behavioral interventions: there are so many sources online now to help parents new to the diagnosis.

She's also way too negative about the possibility for the child's improvement, and I think she condescends to both parents and autistic children. I've read much of what's out there, and this is nowhere on my list of recommended books for parents.

I know not every book works for everyone, but this book left me cold and hopeless after I read it.
There are so many other books to read on autism to help a child - this is not one of them.
Try: Let Me Hear Your Voice, Unraveling the Mystery of Autism, Biological Treatments to Autism & PDD. These book titles will provide you hope, advice and direction.

When I read The World of the Autistic Child two years ago, I found myself discouraged and depressed. I did learn the value of early intervention, but nothing about the enormous amount of biochemical research being done to discover the cause and find the means to cure this disorder. This book is hopelessly out-of-date now with its exclusive focus on the behavioral approach. It needs to be revised and expanded with the assistance of knowledgeable bio-scientists currently researching the field, hopefully before many more newly diagnosed families get the inappropriate pessimism this book presents about autism spectrum disorder.

This book has been very useful to me as my child grows and develops on the spectrum. A very comprehensive description of autism, social development, communication skills, assessment, and dealing with the diagnosis. Its been interesting to make notes in the margins about where my son fits and doesn't fit and how that has changed over time. I have come back to this book many times over the last year and a half.

The treatment resources section was of less value to me. Barely 10 pages on early intervention, and Lovaas is the focus here. 20 pages on behavior management, not an issue for us (now anyway). 20 pages on communication and the development of language, this is very interesting to me. Lots of info on psychoactive medications, this was kind of disturbing to read although I know many parents really find it necessary to give their children these drugs. A very cursory treatment of "alternative" therapies, like holding therapy, AIT, diet, and facilitated communication.

I am sorry, but I checked out this book from the library a few days after my son was diagnosed and it made me sick! Fortunately I also checked out Facing Autism by Lynn Hamilton and also other more current books on the subject! Bryna Siegel is no expert. She only has a masters degree and could not treat children if she wasn't a professor at a university. She has done more damage for children with autism than she has ever helped them. She has said that because ABA is so expensive, if your child doesn't have a marked improvement in the first 4 to 6 weeks, you should try something else. I think that is a bit too black and white. She also says that parents are quick to blame the program if their child is not improving. Well, Dr. Vincent Carbone says, if your child isn't learning, look at your teaching method. "Children with autism are not learning disabled, they are teaching challenges!!"

Finally, school districts LOVE to pay Bryna to testify on their behalf against parents who want an ABA program for their kids. That should tell you something! Bryna Siegel is a self- promoting "know it all."

This book is terribly out of date, depressing and a HORRIBLE thing for a parent of a newly-diagnosed child to read! I do NOT recommend this book. Her now-dated standard dismissal of the emerging bio-chemical research on autism and its physical causes is noting short of criminal. Our child has responded extremely well to a gluten-free, diary-free diet. He has also responded extremely well to an ultra low dose of prozac. Both of these were suggested by leading, main-stream autism neurology researchers. MANY children respond well. There IS HOPE for your child. Many autistics are not permanently mentally retarded, as the author claims. The last five years have seen amazing progress in the treatment of autism!!! You must have a balanced approach of both behaivoral intervention and bio-chemical intervention. This book will lead you to believe your child is doomed. No, not at all.

As a mother with a child 'on the spectrum,' I hope the people who provide services to my son don't think of me, my son, or my family so poorly. Ms. Siegle groups all members of various ethnic groups together. "Latino Fathers," "African Grandmothers," "Asian Community," and "Immigrant Families" are all tried and judged by the author as being hysterical, judgemental, shamed, or completely clueless by their child's medical condition. While all families react to devistating news differently, the author confidently tells her readers that this is how a person is going to react. The author also LOVES the words "mental retardation" and uses it far too frequently in such a short book, perhaps this is the way she explains why her interventions fail. IQ is not the only way to judge a person Ms. Siegal. In the years since this book was written, several interventions have shown great promise, and a child labeled 'mentally retarded' may actually posess average, or above average intellegence. Her tales of the lives of autistic children and adults are nothing short of a 'shock jock' radio personality's material. EXAMPLE "So this guy, he's autistic. He can't even handle a job at K-Mart. He goes nuts every time the loud speaker goes on--then he runs out of the store screaming." The guy has Sensory Issues, you should have noticed that before putting him into a potentially difficult situation. If you are looking for the "World" of an autistic child I'd suggest a story WRITTEN BY a person with autism, not by a person passing judgement and only in 'the business' apparently to gather information for her next book.

There was a bit of useful information in this book but it suffered from being outdated and too pessimistic in its outlook. Contrary to the author's statements, far more than 10% of autistics have the capacity to be integrated into mainstream society. Lovaas's research has the number at close to 50%. While I believe the actual figure may be somewhat lower, 30-40% seems reasonable to me. And as our knowledge and understanding of autism increases, the percentages are only going to improve.

I'm also reasonably certain that parents who share the author's attitude of "there's only so much you can do, you just have to settle for less" may have a self-fulfilling prophecy on their hands. My experience as the parent of an autistic child has been continuous incremental improvement, but only in the presence of positive pressure. And that pressure has to come from both on the parents and the teachers - one or the other is not enough.

The author's skepticism about the more questionable treatments for autism is well-taken. Some, such as vitamin B6, have been shown to cause serious injury. Even when they aren't dangerous, they can waste a lot of time, energy and money that could be better directed elsewhere, such as in a well-designed ABA program. I would advise parents who are about to embark on
a new treatment for their children to ask if there are any
well-designed studies proving it's efficacy. If not, look
elsewhere.