Let Me Hear Your Voice : A Family's Triumph over Autism by Catherine Maurice; Fawcett Books, 1994. She was a beautiful doelike child, with an intense, graceful fragility. In her first year, she picked up words, smiled and laughed, and learned to walk. But then Anne-Marie began to turn inward. And when her little girl lost some of the words she had acquired, cried inconsolably, and showed no interest in anyone around her, Catherine Maurice took her to doctors who gave her a devastating diagnosis: autism. Let Me Hear Your Voice is a mother's illuminating account of how one family triumphed over autism. It is an absolutely unforgettable book, as beautifully written as it is informative.
Breakthroughs How to Reach Students with Autism By K. Sewell (The Attainment Company) A hands-on, how-to approach to reaching and teaching students with autism, based on Karen Sewell's groundbreaking teachering methods.
Asperger Syndrome : A Guide for Educators and Parents by Richard L. Simpson, Brenda Smith Myles; Pro Ed Publishers, 1997. This easy-to-read book overviews the characteristics of Asperger Syndrome and provides information on academic, social, and behavior supports that can help children and youth with this exceptionality enhance their success in school and home settings. The final chapter in this book is authored by several parents of children with Asperger Syndrome.
Asperger's Syndrome : A Guide for Parents and Professionals by Tony Attwood, Lorna Wing; Jessica Kingsley Publishing, 1997. Due to its relative recency as a diagnosis, there is very little available in the child psychiatric literature about Asperger's syndrome. Of the two other recent books I'm familiar with (Uta Frith and one by two American authors, this one by a very experienced Australian psychologist is a clinical goldmine. It's audience is for clinicians and parents, covering the major clinical characteristics of Aspergers and ways of understanding them, living with them and perhaps helping to change some of their cognitive and social differences . The degree of humanism and respect for people with this syndrome, plus emphasis on their strengths and possible future careers is outstanding. Bill Bolman, Child Psychiatrist
Like Color to the Blind by Donna Williams; Times Books, 1996. The author offers an intimate diary of the universal joys and stresses of falling in love as she continues her struggle with autism.
Nobody Nowhere : The Extraordinary Autobiography of an Autistic by Donna Williams; Avon Books, 1994. She was called deaf, retarded, disturbed, and insane. It wasn't until Donna Williams was 25 years old that she learned her real condition was called autism. Here, she reveals her fierce intelligence, creativity, and sense of humor as she details her attempt to come to terms with autism and her struggle to merge "my world" with "the world.".
Somebody Somewhere : Breaking Free from the World of Autism by Donna Williams; Times Books, 1995. The bestselling author of Nobody Nowhere continues her searing, revelatory account of her battle of autism--a life dominated by disembodied pattern, sound, color, and movement, cut off from the incomprehensible actions of people. Donna explores the four years sinse her diagnosis and her attempts to leave her "world under glass" and live normally.
Fragile Success : Nine Autistic Children, Childhood to Adulthood by Virginia Walker Sperry; Archon, 1997. This is one of the first books to actually trace the lives of autistic children for over twenty-five years into adulthood. Written for parents, pediatricians, educators, and other childcare professionals, it presents the facts of their lives as witnessed by their teachers, medical professionals, social workers, parents, and in the case of one boy - themselves. This group of true case histories vividly illustrates the heterogeneity of autism with its variations, from Bill, now totally independent, to Eric, who remains nonverbal, frighteningly aggressive at times, and living at home.
Behavioral Intervention for Young Children With Autism : A Manual for Parents and Professionals by Catherine Maurice (Editor), Gina Green (Editor), Stephen C. Luce (Editor); Pro Ed, 1996. Chapters on choosing an effective treatment discuss how to evaluate claims about treatments for autism, and what the research says about early behavioral intervention and other treatments. Subsequent sections address what to teach, teaching programs, how to teach, and who should teach. Also addressed are the organization and funding of a behavioral program, working with a speech-language pathologist, and working with the schools.
The World of the Autistic Child : Understanding and Treating Autistic Spectrum Disorders by Bryna Siegel; Oxford University Press, 1996. By far the most complete and comprehensive book ever written for the parents of autistic children, and for the teachers, child specialists, and other professionals who care for them, "The World of the Autistic Child" guides readers through the thicket of symptoms and labels, explaining the crucial importance of intensive early education and how to find the resources and help currently available.
Emergence : Labeled Autistic by Temple Grandin, Margaret M. Scariano; Warner Books, 1996. A true story that is both uniquely moving and exceptionally inspiring, Emergence is the first-hand account of a courageous autistic woman who beat the odds and cured herself. As a child, Temple Grandin was forced to leave her "normal" school and enroll in a school for autistic children. This searingly honest account captures the isolation and fears suffered by autistics and their families and the quiet strength of one woman who insisted on a miracle.
Thinking in Pictures : And Other Reports from My Life With Autism by Temple Grandin; Vintage Books, 1996. In this unprecedented book, Temple Grandin, a gifted animal scientist who is also autistic, delivers a report on autism, written from her unique perspective. What emerges is the document of an extraordinary human being, one who bridged the gulf between her condition and our own, shedding light on the riddle of our common identity. of photos.
A Parent's Guide to Autism by Charles A. Hart, Pocket Books, 1993. Despite the tremendous need for parents of autistic children to learn as much as they can about treatments, life choices, and possible cures, there has never been a broad subject survey or a complete examination of the anecdotal evidence until now. Includes the success rate of the best-known treatments and more.
Silent Words : Forever Friends by Margaret Eastham, Oliver Pate Publishers, 1992.
Speechless : Facilitating Communication for People Without Voices by Rosemary Crossley, E.P.Dutton, 1997. Rosemary Crossley, who developed the controversial technique known as Facilitated Communication (FC) to assist the disabled to communicate, chronicles her two-decades-long efforts (including court battles) to have the method accepted. Through her inspiring stories of working with such varied cases as autism, brain injuries, and Down syndrome, Crossley emerges as a fiercely determined woman who cares deeply about the rights of the disabled.
Children With Autism : A Developmental Perspective (Developing Child Series) by Marian Sigman, Lisa Capps, Harvard University Press, 1997. Attempting to make sense of the many features of autism at every level of intellectual functioning across the life span, psychology experts Marian Sigman and Lisa Capps weave together clinical vignettes, research findings, methodological considerations, and historical accounts.
Lifelong Leisure Skills and Lifestyles for Persons With Developmental Disabilities by Stuart J. Schleien (Editor), Luanna H. Meyer, Linda A. Heyne; Paul H Brookes Pub Co, 1994. A handbook providing concrete strategies for including students with disabilities safely and meaningfully in physical education at the kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school levels. Includes illustrations, case studies, helpful forms, and checklists for putting ideas into practice.
Autism and Asperger Syndrome by U. Frith, & etc; Comabridge University Press, 1992. The problem of the eccentric individual who appears to be simultaneously intellectually gifted and mentally retarded is addressed as a type of autism defined as Asperger Syndrome in this in-depth analysis of the disorder.
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updated July 2004