Overview

How do you know if your child is happy or sad, tired or hungry, when all he wants to talk about is wasps/m-/or the color of subway train doors? What can you do to reassure a nine-year-old who asks questions about death hundreds of times in a day? And how can you build a nurturing relationship when your little girl hates to be touched? Raising a child with autism or Asperger syndrome (AS) may challenge all of your notions about how children behave and what good parenting demands. You may even feel completely cut off from the child you love. That's why understanding how children with autism spectrum disorders actually think and feel/m-/and the striking ways in which their minds work differently from those of typical children/m-/is so important. Guiding your child toward more meaningful involvement in everyday life requires more than patience and persistence. You first need to enter and explore your child's unusual inner world, as Dr. Peter Szatmari invites you to do in this compelling book. With the grace of a gifted storyteller and the wisdom of a seasoned practitioner, Dr. Szatmari shares the stories of over a dozen children and families with whom he has worked. He reveals that people with autism and AS live in a world without metaphors; a visual landscape, built of images, not language. It's a place where friendly small talk may sound like a foreign tongue, where tree branches are more intriguing than people, where hairbrush bristles can feel like nails on the scalp or a hug like the clamp of a vise. Drawing on decades of influential research and clinical experience, Dr. Szatmari combines ""big picture"" information - the nuances of diagnosis, what is known about possible causes, and what the future holds for children with these disorders - with finely wrought observations that let you see the world through your child's eyes. Of crucial importance, Dr. Szatmari also illustrates ways parents can ""break through"" to help kids start to navigate the wider world. An intense interest in the patterns on wasp wings may be mystifying, but such visual perceptiveness also can be channeled into artwork or math. A child fixated on death may be less afraid of loss than of change in general - a common form of anxiety that parents can help soothe. Hating to be touched doesn't mean your child doesn't feel affection, but that he is physically hypersensitive - and you can find other ways to encourage closeness and offer comfort. Coping with autism or AS often feels like a journey through uncharted terrain, but neither children nor parents need to take the journey alone. This inspiring book shows how gaining a better sense of your child's experience can deepen the bonds that support learning and growth - and help you lead the way toward a happier future.

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9781572305441

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Reviews

.,. a unique and well-written book that uses real life vignettes to describe and review the characteristic symptoms of autism and the social consequences and impact of these symptoms on family members and others....This is a must read for anyone involved in the life of a child with autism spectrum disorders. Its unique presentation offers unparalleled insight into the origin of the atypical behaviors of children with this affliction by entering their world, or 'foreign country, ' as the author describes it....The book is well written, is easy to follow and understand, and complements other resources on this topic. Its true contribution and usefulness, however, lies in its powerful presentation that leads to improved understanding and empathy in the reader. 4 Stars! -- Doody's Electronic Journal <br> This is a most remarkable and absorbing book....The author brings much of our current understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder into one very readable book and is highly recommended. -- Autism Victoria <br> This book is a must for teachers, carers and parents of children with autism. It is so well written, and so interesting, that it was impossible to put down, quite a feat for a non-fiction piece of work....As a psychologist and teacher working with ASD, and also the mum of a young man with mild AS, not to mention cousin and aunt to several others, I have certainly read my share of books on the subject, but I can honestly say that this is the best I have struck. I would strongly recommend it to all people who fall into any of those categories, and others who would like to learn about the realities of this increasingly common disorder. -- Australian Journal of Learning Disabilities <br> Altogether absorbing, it should appeal to a wide audience, while being especially compelling for readers with ASD in their immediate circle. ASD affects 1 in 300 American children. Don't wait until April--National Autism Awareness Month--to feature this title. This is important and urgent information for countless parents. -- Kirkus Reports This is an informative and very good book, which reads like a novel. It is well written in an emphatic and clear way....The compassion with which the narratives are put together is refreshing and heart warming. The book is appropriate for professionals as well as families (including siblings, or at least adolescents) who are caring for or living with someone with Autism or Asperger's Syndrome. -- Youthinmind <br>

We are far from having a complete understanding of autism and Asperger syndrome, but Dr. Peter Szatmari has done an unsurpassed job of shedding light on how children with these disorders feel and act. The cases he recounts in this book touch on many different aspects of autism, including both the numerous problems that children and their families face and the successes they can achieve. The book also bears witness to the courage and perseverance of parents who, all too frequently, must struggle to find appropriate support from clinicians and educators. An enlightening and welcome resource for many, many families, and one that should also be read by all professionals in the field. --Patricia Howlin, PhD, Department of Psychology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, University of London, UK; coauthor of Teaching Children with Autism to Mind-Read <br> A landmark book in terms of style and content. Dr. Szatmari explores and describes the world as perceived by people with autism to explain their unusual behaviour and abilities, and discusses scientific theories and current therapies as well as causes and prognosis. The book is written objectively and engagingly, with literary skill and a sense of optimism that will be particularly appealing to parents. Dr. Szatmari clearly appreciates and admires the minds of children with autism, and is able to explain those minds to parents while providing realistic advice on remedial strategies. --Tony Attwood, PhD, author of A sperger Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals <br> Dr. Szatmari's book embodies the best of that singular tradition in which science is matched against disability, one child at a time. A clinician, scientist, and keen observer of human nature, Dr. Szatmari weaves a deeply empathic and comprehensive account of autism and related disabilities. The stories he recounts illuminate the daily challenges and triumphs that children experience, while revealing his passion for discovery and healing.y

We are far from having a complete understanding of autism and Asperger syndrome, but Dr. Peter Szatmari has done an unsurpassed job of shedding light on how children with these disorders feel and act. The cases he recounts in this book touch on many different aspects of autism, including both the numerous problems that children and their families face and the successes they can achieve. The book also bears witness to the courage and perseverance of parents who, all too frequently, must struggle to find appropriate support from clinicians and educators. An enlightening and welcome resource for many, many families, and one that should also be read by all professionals in the field. --Patricia Howlin, PhD, Department of Psychology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, University of London, UK; coauthor of Teaching Children with Autism to Mind-Read <br> A landmark book in terms of style and content. Dr. Szatmari explores and describes the world as perceived by people with autism tor

Author Information

Peter Szatmari, MD, has been working with children with autism and pervasive developmental disorders and their families for over 20 years, and has consulted to government agencies in the U.S., Canada, and around the world. He is currently Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Vice-Chair of Research, and Head of the Division of Child Psychiatry at McMaster University in Canada.

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