Veronica Zysk

My little boy just turned three, and he has a diagnosis of high-functioning autism. He's very smart, but slow to bother talking, and has severe social issues. This book is part of my quest to educate myself and do what I can for him.

My first impression of the book was that many of the suggestions seemed obvious. Okay, I don't have to buy a birthday cake - I can buy a birthday watermelon if that will make the kid happy. However, as I delved into it, the "duh" suggestions gave way to ones that show more did seem more pertinent to a child on the spectrum. Of course, many of them were also targeted for kids older than mine, but that's fine. The last chapter is a very useful guide to terms and rights within the educational system, including the way an IEP should be worded. Good stuff. This book will only become more relevant in the coming years.

Oh, new vocabulary word for the day: proprioception. show less

This book has some wonderful suggestions for teachers and parents of children on all levels of the autism spectrum. Rather than focusing on high- or low-functioning children, all levels are considered. All kids on the spectrum are accounted for-not just autism. Parents of children with PDD-NOS and Asperger Syndrome can find good tips, too.

Some ideas seem obvious and sound like they'd be great for any child, other ideas aren't so obvious. But almost every idea is simple and can be quickly show more integrated into raising a child. One suggestion is to make an edible play dough (for which she gives two recipes), for the kid who can't stop putting things in their mouths.

For our family, the best suggestion was one that, like many others, I read and thought "How did I not think of this earlier?" They suggest telling the child how much water they are going to pour on his head at bathtime. I started doing this with my son. Immediatly, the fits stopped. He still hates it, but we don't have to end bathtime and give him 10 minutes to calm down afterwords now. Another good one-demonstrate everything you're going to do to a child beforehand. This worked for us when it was haircut time. It no longer sounds like we're torturing our son once a month!

This is a very valuable book to add to a parent or teacher's toolbox. show less

Organized alphabetically by topic, this book is well done and sure to be appreciated. It contains many practical suggestions for common challenges facing parents of a child with an ASD. True, many suggestions will be obvious to a veteran parent, but it would be unrealistic to expect every idea to be one you could use. Many parents who are overwhelmed and tired benefit greatly from another individual simply starting the creative juices flowing. Examples and ideas are a catalyst for other ideas.

This is outside of my topic but I thought it was a great read for anyone who is in contact with someone with autism, Many great ideas for teachers, parents, grandparents and care takers.