"Bryna Siegel has succeeded admirably in the difficult task of writing a book for parents of children with autistic conditions. Her style is clear and easy to understand even when she discusses complicated issues. She has empathy for the emotional and practical stresses and strains that are an inevitable part of caring for an autistic child. She discusses treatments and outcomes with clear-sighted honesty. This is a book that parents and professionals in the field will find invaluable."--Lorna Wing, M.D., Consultant Psychiatrist, The Centre for Social and Communication Disorders
"In this volume, Dr. Siegel combines equal measures of academic expertise, common sense, and empathy for her patients and their families. The result is an authoritative and easily readable book for students, professionals of all disciplines, and parents who are struggling to understand and help those with autism. I recommend Dr. Siegel's book to every student, fellow professional, and family without the slightest hesitation or qualification."--Edward R. Ritvo, M.D., UCLA School of Medicine
"Very well done in its scope and comprehensive. It covers a wide range of treatments and provides current perspective on each. Treatment of diagnosis is thorough. This is an excellent choice for the professional bookcase--be they teacher, therapist, parent or doctor."--Gerald Budzynski, York College of Pennsylvania
Noted in Ianadian Child Psychiatry Review
Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
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.
