O'Reilly Media | Autistic Spectrum Disorders

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Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Second Edition Understanding the Diagnosis and Getting Help

By Mitzi Waltz
Second Edition July 2002
Pages: 528
ISBN 10: 0-596-50013-0 | ISBN 13: 9780596500139

Book description

Autism is a baffling condition. This second edition includes all the basic information needed by parents of a child who has been diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder, adults who want to gain more insight and self-help skills, and professionals working with individuals on the autistic spectrum. Covers medical overviews, recent research, diagnosis, treatment, insurance, school, family issues, money and management ideas, building a support system, and an inside look at life on the autistic spectrum. Author Mitzi Waltz, an advocate for adults and children with neurological disorders, has included the stories of dozens of people with autistic spectrum disorders.
Full Description

Autistic spectrum disorders--including autism, pervasive developmental disorders not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), Asperger's syndrome, and others--are labels to describe neurological conditions that can affect a person's speech and communication, emotional growth, social skills, and physical and mental abilities. Up to 1 in 150 children in some geographical areas have these conditions; children affected are disproportionately boys. This second edition is for parents (or newly diagnosed adults) who struggle with these neurological conditions that profoundly impact the life of child and family. Author and patient advocate Mitzi Waltz, now studying at the Autism Research Unit in the UK, incorporates the latest medical findings on possible causes for ASDs and on treatments. Topics include:

Getting a diagnosis, including preparing for a diagnostic interview in a medical, psychiatric, or school setting
Treatment options, including pharmaceutical medications, vitamins and supplements, sensory integration, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, behavior modification, floor time play therapy, talk therapy, and others
Coping with diagnosis and treatment, including emotions and support systems, insurance system, and educational plans
Stories from dozens of families living with autistic spectrum disorders

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Media reviews

"This new book will be incredibly useful to parents and
educators working with children and adults suffering from
autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). ... Strongly recommended
for public libraries and for academic libraries with
education or autism collections."
--Library Journal, starred review of the second edition, July 2002

"Waltz has produced a highly informative and clearly
written guide. Highly recommended."
--CAPHIS Consumer Connections newsletter (CAPHIS is the
consumer health section of the Medical Librarian Assn.)

"Highly recommended. ...Her intention in this book is to bring together the basic information needed by parents of a child with these disorders." -- Alan Rees on Consumer Health, A Majors Report

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