Every parent, teacher, social worker, therapist, and physician should have this succinct and informative book in his/her back pocket. Framed with both humor and compassion, the book defines the top ten characteristics that illuminate the minds and hearts of children with autism. Ellen’s personal experiences as a parent, an autism columnist, and a contributor to numerous parenting magazines coalesce to create a guide for all who come in contact with a child on the autism spectrum.
Don’t buy just one of this book — buy one for everyone who interacts with your child! Give thegift of understanding.
REVIEW
Greatest book on autism ever!!! This is, hands down, the greatest book on autism ever. before the end of chapter one, I had a deep and profound understanding of why my nephew does some of the things he does. It's so uplifting and enlightening to hear it as if from the mouth of a child who suffers through this.
I particularly enjoy the way the author expresses the hardships of the condition in a positive manner and allows me to see more than the limitations it imposes. I believe that I, and my family, will benefit greatly from this book and it will definitely be a stocking stuffer for everyone in the immediate family. I wish it was required reading, not just for those dealing with children who have autism. I believe it could help everyone to learn a little empathy and truly see the world through someone else' eyes.
Parents and professionals can now bypass countless hours spent seeking answers to the mystifying day-to-day challenges of autism. In a snappy, can-do format, this insightful book offers page after page of try-it-now solutions that have worked for thousands of children grappling with social, sensory, behavioral, and self-care issues, plus many more.
REVIEW
Excellent!! Must Read!! This is a must read for anyone working with or parenting an Autistic child. Full of useful ideas.
A London researcher was the first to assert that the combination measles-mumps-rubella vaccine known as MMR caused autism in children. Following this "discovery," a handful of parents declared that a mercury-containing preservative in several vaccines was responsible for the disease. Ifmercury caused autism, they reasoned, eliminating it from a child's system should treat the disorder. Consequently, a number of untested alternative therapies arose, and, most tragically, in one such treatment, a doctor injected a five-year-old autistic boy with a chemical in an effort to cleanse him of mercury, which stopped his heart instead.
Children with autism have been placed on stringent diets, subjected to high-temperature saunas, bathed in magnetic clay, asked to swallow digestive enzymes and activated charcoal, and injected with various combinations of vitamins, minerals, and acids. Instead of helping, these therapies can hurt those who are most vulnerable, and particularly in the case of autism, they undermine childhood vaccination programs that have saved millions of lives. An overwhelming body of scientific evidence clearly shows that childhood vaccines are safe and does not cause autism. Yet widespread fear of vaccines on the part of parents persists.
In this book, Paul A. Offit, a national expert on vaccines, challenges the modern-day false prophets who have so egregiously misled the public and exposes the opportunism of the lawyers, journalists, celebrities, and politicians who support them. Offit recounts the history of autism research and the exploitation of this tragic condition by advocates and zealots. He considers the manipulation of science in the popular media and the courtroom, and he explores why society is susceptible to the bad science and risky therapies put forward by many antivaccination activists.
REVIEW
Brilliant Brilliant book. Recommended reading for anyone involved in vaccinations or with children on the autism spectrum.
I'm donating my copy to my daughters early intervention centre so the truth can be read by more families of children on the spectrum.
Winner of the 2005 Autism Society of America's Outstanding Literary Work of the Year Award
Based on the author's personal and professional experiences, this comprehensive and accessible source covers all aspects of autism conditions, including Asperger's Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder.
REVIEW
Just diagnosed? Read this book! When we first learned our twins were both on the Autism Spectrum, I needed more information and direction to immediate resources. This book has both and so much more from a PARENT's prespective. I found it helpful, empowering, and realistic for moms like me reeling from the initial shock. I'm so glad I bought it, read it and have it on my shelf as a reference guide!
Ellen Notbohm's first book, Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew, was a shot heard throughout the worldwide autism community, branded by readers as "required reading for all social service workers, teachers and relatives of children with autism." Now, for the teacher in all of us comes Ten Things Your Student with Autism Wishes You Knew. The unique perspective of a child's voice is back to help usunderstand the thinking patterns that guide their actions, shape an environment conducive to their learning style, and communicate with them in meaningful ways. Ten Things Your Student with Autism Wishes You Knew affirms that autism imposes no inherent upper limits on achievement, that both teacher and child "can do it." It's the game plan every educator, parent, or family member needs to make the most of every "teaching moment" in the life of these children we love.
REVIEW
Excellent resource! As a general education teacher who has never worked with autistic children before, I found this book to be very enlightening. It gave me a better idea of the type of students I will be working with this next year andhow to better adjust my plans to help them learn in a gen ed class.
The best kid-friendly recipes and guide to the gluten-free milk-free diet for ADHD and Autism.What it is. Why it works. How to do it.
The Centers for Disease Control reports significant increases in Autism and ADHD - both affecting primarily boys. The CDC estimates that 1 out of 175 children (age 4 to 17) currently have Autism (300,000). Before 1985, Autism occurred in less than 1 out of 2000. ADHD is much more common in that it affects 4.4 million U.S. children (age 4 to 17).
Common to both of these conditions is the negative impact of certain foods - especially milk products and glutens such as wheat(and to a lesser degree - soy and corn.) One of the challenges that parents face is coping with children who have picky appetites and crave the very foods that affect their behavior, focus and development. The other challenge is finding ways to get their children to eat healthy foods and improve their nutritional status.
The uniqueness of this! book is that it not only provides gluten-free milk-free substitutes and recipes, it provides successful suggestions for feeding the picky eater. The authors share details about just how and why the diet works. The specialty ingredients are explained and extensive sources provided. There are also testimonials from the parents and from the children themselves.
REVIEW
Good education on the science, sometimes confusing, recipes pretty good This was my first GFCF cookbook, so I really valued that the first chapters focused on the significance of the special diets, the biology and chemistry behind them, testimonials, and even saying the diets didn't work for everyone. On the downside, sometimes the charts provided were a little confusing and I found some conflicting info. On one chart it said to avoid lactose (pg 35), in another section it said lactose is ok in a casein free diet (pg 44). Maybe I missed something. There is a good variety of recipes. It's not just a kid's cookbook. They include everything from making your own pizza crust to asparagus vichyssoise. There are really good dessert recipes too. You may have to go to a specialty store to get some of the ingredients like xanthan gum and ghee. (they didn't have those at my local store anyway) All in all, I think besides looking up the occassional recipe online, this is the only cookbook I'll need.
A decade ago, autism was a rare disease--today, most Americans know a family with an autistic child. Autism is now epidemic, currently affecting half a million American children, or 1 in 150. This makes it the most common developmental disability--more common than Down's syndrome, cerebral palsy, and mental retardation combined. Autism is growing at a startling rate of 10-17 percent per year, which means that the disease could reach several million Americans in the next decade.
Changing the Course of Autism has the potential to revolutionize the way this disease is perceived and managed by showing that autism can be treated as a medical disease, rather than a behavioral disorder. In this groundbreaking book, the authors explain that reducing neurological inflammation improves autistic behaviors dramatically, making a profound impact on the health and future of affected children and their families.
REVIEW
A wonderful overview of the way in wich our body works. This book changed my perspective, not only of autism but of the aproach I had of troubles in aging, auto-immune diseases, oxidation, aminoacids, etc. I've been looking for this information for a long time.
Gladys Roij
Individuals with autism are reportedly one of the most difficult populations to toilet train. This second edition offers effective strategies that take the child's physical and emotional sensitivities into account instead of trying to force traditional methods. Easy-to-read bulleted lists offer more than 200 do's and don'ts, along with over 50 real-life examples, to help make the process more of a lesson and less of a battle for all involved. The young trainee will learn to overcome fear of the bathroom, properly use toilet paper, flush once, wash hands, and more. The toilet trainer will learn how to overcome challenges caused by communication needs, sensory sensitivities, motor challenges, anxiety levels, etc.
REVIEW
A difficult task made easier! I am so thankful that I chose this book over others that deal with toilet training. I did not realize how teaching someone on the spectrum how to use the potty is very different in many ways, than someone who's not. This book deals with those issues. It brings to light some very important routines and activities to follow. Especially for someone who is new to the world of Autism, this is a book that I highly recommend that you include in your library.
The New York Times bestseller that is an inspiring “story of hope” (People) for parents of autistic children
One morning Jenny McCarthy was having a cup of coffee when she sensed something was wrong. She ran into her two-year-old son Evan’s room and found him having a seizure. Doctor after doctor misdiagnosed Evan until—after many harrowing, life-threatening episodes—one good doctor discovered that Evan is autistic.
With a foreword from Dr. David Feinberg, medical director of the Resnick Neuro-psychiatric Hospital at UCLA, and an introduction by Jerry J. Kartzinel, a top pediatric autism specialist, Louder Than Words follows Jenny as she discovered an intense combination of behavioral therapy, diet, and supplements that became the key to saving Evan from autism. Her story sheds much-needed light on autism through her own heartbreak, struggle, and ultimately hopeful example of how a parent can shape a child’s life and happiness.
REVIEW
Does the boy's father have Aspergers? Jenny's ex-husband's reaction in the book points to a man who might have Asperger's Syndrome. He was very inappropriate in the way he handled his son's medical problems. He was inappropriate in his inability to support his wife through their harrowing experience. His reaction left me wanting to hear more about his demeanor and hear also what his parent's experience was with their son as he was growing up. The husband's diagnosis would support the genetic theory of autism. As a mother of a boy who has Aspergers, I would like to see money go into the school systems to educate the educators about how to best teach these incredible children. Also money should not be wasted on theories that have been scientifically disproved.
Stories of hope and recovery from a nation of parents of autistic children, by the high-profile, bestselling author of Louder Than Words.
When Jenny McCarthy published Louder Than Words, the story of her successful efforts to save her son, Evan, from autism, the response was tremendous. It hit #3 on the New York Times bestseller list; and Jenny and Evan were featured on the covers of several magazines, including People. But what she hadn’t anticipated was the overwhelming response from other parents of autistic children, who sought her out to share their stories.
No two autistic children heal in exactly the same way. And in her new book, Jenny expands her message to share recovery stories from parents across the country. Mother Warriors, shows how each parent fought to find her own child’s perfect “remedy of interventions” and teaches parents how to navigate safely through the many autism therapies.
Along the way, Jenny shares her own journey as an autism advocate and mother as well as the progress of her son, Evan. Emotional and genuinely practical, Mother Warriors will inspire a generation of parents with hope.
REVIEW
Fighting a bigger battle than just her child-Kudos to her! As a mother of a child who is no longer considered autistic, I have to say I am impressed with the passion Jenny McCarthy shows on this issue. I remember when my son was only a baby before autism entered our lives, I was at the library looking at baby books and I came across one of her books on motherhood. I remember thinking "Yeah right, what can Jenny McCarthy teach me about motherhood". Im not the "up-tight" type. Im just a 40+ mother of a small child who never thought much of the "new generation" of MTV/reality tv. Playboy either for that matter. I had no interest in her views. But I had to eat my words when I learned she was going through the same thing I was. While helping her son find his voice she found hers as well. When reading "Louder Than Words" I found myself relating to alot of what she was going through. My son didnt have the seizures her son has. Like any mother of an autistic knows no two children are alike. She points this out many times in both of these books. I'm sure most parents feel much of the same emotions as she feels. I admire her straight forwardness in both books. This is what captured and held my attention. I have read many stories of autistic children but I have to admit my favorites are stories of those that are recovered. You can go to any website, support group, or blog and learn of the daily struggles, the heart ache, the expense,the theories, and treatments. But quite honestly, after reading so much, if Im going to take the time to read a book on autism I would rather it be one of HOPE: A success story written by an autistic. Or a story by a parent who sucessfully brought her child out of the world of autism or helped him/her to function in the world the best that that child can. For this reason I liked this book. What a good idea a book of many success stories. My favorites are "A Real Boy","The Boy Who Loved Windows", "Let Me Hear Your Voice" "Look Me In The Eyes", "Thinking In Pictures". I believe this particularbook "Mother Warriors" was too short and too one-sided (All the children have gut issues.) I get that her agenda is to educate as many people as she can. Her focus is on what hurt and helped her child. And like she said this info may help many more, so how could this be a bad thing? I dont think it is a dangerous book, we are smart enough to take what it is we need from this book and go about helping our children. So if you try the diet and it doesnt work what harm have you done. The harm is if you stop vaccinating, but she doesnt advocate that. She is fighting for a new, safer schedule for the vaccines for every person's child. She, like other parents of autistics can fight the best battle for their child because they care more for that individual than any other. I also watched her on Oprah and what I walked away with most was the emphasis she put on a new schedule for vaccines. Also something Holly Robinson said about the small window of time we have to best help these children. The window of 0-5yrs of age especially 0-3 yrs(early intervention). This is what I believe helped my child so therefore I am an advocate of that. Who could blame me? A person will support what works for them. I was lucky to have a pediatrician that didnt waste time. When I was concerned about my son not talking at 1yr old (I read "The Boy Who Loved Windows" when my son was only 6 mos old). His doctor said if he isnt saying Mama and Dada by 15mos and meaning mom and dad then he will make a referral and by 18 mos old we had the diagnosis. Within 2 mos he was in early intervention and I believe that was my son's ticket to recovery. He had the toe walking, hand leading, hand flapping, lack of eye contact, solitude. I too would have stopped at nothing to recover my son so I am impressed and sympathetic to anyone who has to fight for their child. This book in particular was filled with alot of good info and I believe anyone who has a child who is on the spectrum should listen to ALL mothers who speak of autism then make up their minds for themselves on the action they will take.Please dont judge others who chose differently. We are all fighting the war against autism and there are those that want to silence us and have us accept what we're dealt. But Jenny is fighting a bigger battle than just one child she is fighting for all. Could the book have been better? Absolutly. Is she a great writer? Not particularly, but she is getting a message out there and making people think about the bigger picture. That is what parents have been wanting to happen for a long time. Read the book. If you dont like it donate it to the library maybe others will read it and get more out of it. If changing just one thing in this book can improve your child just a little isnt it money well spent?
