Helping Children With
Autism Learn: A Guide to Treatment Approaches for Parents and
Professionals
Author: Bryna Siegel
Details: 320 pages; Published by Oxford University Press;
(May 1, 2003)
ISBN: 0195138112
Book Description:
Bryna Siegel gives parents of autistic children what they need
most: hope. Her first book, The World of the Autistic Child,
became an instant classic, illuminating the inaccessible minds
of afflicted children. Now she offers an equally insightful,
thoroughly practical guide to treating the learning disabilities
associated with this heartbreaking disorder. The trouble with
treating autism, Siegel writes, is that it is a spectrum
disorder -- a combination of a number of symptoms and causes. To
one extent or another, it robs the child of social bonds,
language, and intimacy -- but the extent varies dramatically in
each case. The key is to understand each case of autism as a
discrete set of learning disabilities, each of which must be
treated individually. Siegel explains how to take an inventory
of a child's particular disabilities, breaks down the various
kinds unique to autism, discusses our current knowledge about
each, and reviews the existing strategies for treating them.
There is no simple cure for this multifarious disorder, she
writes; instead, an individual program, with a unique array of
specific treatments, must be constructed for each child. She
gives practical guidance for fashioning such a program,
empowering parents to take the lead in their child's treatment.
At the same time, she cautions against the proliferating, but
questionable, treatments hawked to afflicted families. She knows
the panic to do something, anything, to help an autistic child,
and she offers parents reassurance and support as well as
sensible advice, combining knowledge from experience, theory,
and research. For parents, autism in a child is heartbreaking.
But it need not be overwhelming. Bryna Siegel offers a new
understanding, and a practical, thoughtful approach, that will
give parents new hope.
Jackie's Review:
This book packs quite a punch. Being the parent of a child
with autism I've read many books on learning styles and
treatment approaches but this one was undoubtedly the best one
I've seen. Helping Children With Autism Learn is an
insightful masterpiece. Byrna does a great job of
informing parents without using intimidating verbiage. I
would recommend this book to any parent or professional working
with a child who has autism.
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