'A wise SatNav for what is often a bewildering, or even scary, zone of parenting. The book offers real-world, road-tested, child-first and family-friendly advice; while also highlighting the twin truths that autism is not a tragedy, and that adaptation and acceptance are not resignation' David Mitchell, bestselling author and co-translator of The Reason I Jump
'A must-read for anyone with an autistic child in their life' Laura James, author of Odd Girl Out
Written by Jessie Hewitson, an award-winning journalist at The Times, Autism is the book she wishes she had read when her son was first given the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.
It combines her own experiences with tips from autistic adults, other parents - including author David Mitchell - as well as advice from autism professionals and academics such as Professor Simon Baron-Cohen. Autism looks at the condition as a difference rather than a disorder and includes guidance on:
· What to do if you think your child is autistic
· How to understand and support your child at school and at home
· Mental health and autism
· The differences between autistic girls and boys
'It is incredibly useful and informative, full of new research and interviews that put right an awful lot of misinformation. I cannot recommend this highly enough' The Sun
'Exceptionally useful and informative' Uta Frith, Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Development, UCL
Endorsed by the national charity Ambitious about Autism, this definitive guide for parents of children diagnosed with autism or parents who are curious about potential signs of autism aims to cut through the conflicting information available across contemporary media sources by providing a uniquely authoritative resource drawing on advice from a range of parents, people who are autistic themselves, academics and medical professionals.
If you're going to buy an autism parenting book, please make it this one. The language used is positive, with talk of differences and not deficits. What is often described as "problem behaviour" in other books is reframed here (more accurately) as the result of an autistic person communicating there is a problem. This approach is going to be far more helpful.