The Dragons of Autism: Autism As a Source of Wisdom (Paperback)

by Olga Holland (Author) "There are four of us..." (more)
Key Phrases: chaotic reminders, many autistic children, happiness points, San Diego, Dragon of Negativity, New York City (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
When a child is diagnosed with autism, the parents' reaction is often one of hopelessness and fear. Olga Holland experienced these emotions when her son Billy was diagnosed, but instead of giving up hope, she developed strategies that have made Billy better able to cope with life. She explains how working with autism's many strengths has led to a better quality of life for all her family. Full of advice for everyday living and long-term progress, The Dragons of Autism is a positive and inspirational read, and is illustrated with Billy's dragons.

About the Author
Olga Holland was born in the former Soviet Union, where she was trained as an economist. Due to her insistence to exercise her constitutional rights as a Soviet citizen, she was labeled a political dissident, and in 1986 she moved to the US, where she married and had two children. Her son, Billy, born in 1993, was diagnosed as autistic when he was four years old. She now devotes her time to home-schooling Billy, writing about autism and exercising her rights as a parent within the local school district.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers; 1 edition (January 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843107414
• ISBN-13: 978-1843107415
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,377,984 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly a Source of Wisdom, August 31, 2008

By	Tanya Savko "teenautism.com" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The subtitle of this insightful yet practical book is "Autism as a Source of Wisdom," and author Olga Holland offers that and more. Many autism-parent memoirs are beautifully thought-provoking, and enjoyable to read, but don't present much in the hands-on, getting-through-the-day department. The Dragons of Autism eloquently and effectively addresses both of these areas.

Holland possesses an analytical mind which enables her to invent and apply various approaches to managing her son's behavior and helping him adapt to situations that aggravate his sensory issues. She is no stranger to meltdowns (called tantrums in the book), having dealt with her son's episodes that occurred several times a day. A large portion of the book is devoted to damage control strategies as well as possible prevention techniques. She discusses the technique of Buying Time as a long-term method of re-training problematic behavior or enforcing house rules (such as bedtime). Holland goes on to describe the importance of schedules and having rituals to enforce them. She empathizes that yes, it is time-consuming for parents of autistic children to organize and maintain a schedule in written form, but she advises, "Look at it as a craft - a part of the craft of raising an autistic child." I think that's the perfect way to describe it - a craft that we become better at as the years go by.

Holland includes plenty of descriptions of her son's characteristics and behavior, and I found it both engaging and affirming to recognize so many of them in my own son, as I'm sure many parents would. This book is helpful not only for parents of younger autistic children looking for ways to manage meltdowns/tantrums, but also for parents of older autistic children. Most of us still have to deal with meltdowns, even though now they may occur for different reasons than when our children were younger. Holland provides effective strategies using empathy and creativity that are both helpful and humane. I've referred back to this book many times in the five years that I've owned it, and will continue to. It's a good read.