The Autism Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About Diagnosis, Treatment, Coping, and Healing―from a Mother Whose Child Recovered – Expert Guidance for Families

by Karen Siff Exkorn

Practical advice and information from the world's foremost experts on autism -- and a mother's own hard-won lessons from helping her son recover from the disorder When Karen Siff Exkorn 's son, Jake, was diagnosed with autism, she struggled to pull together comprehensive information about the disorder. Fortunately, she was able to educate herself quickly, and her extensive at-home treatment of her son led to his amazing full recovery. But the journey wasn't easy, and now, in The Autism Sourcebook , Siff Exkorn offers parents the wisdom she wishes she'd had at the beginning. Recent studies show that there is a worldwide epidemic of autism. More than 1.5 million people are affected in the United States alone, with one in every 166 children diagnosed. Early detection and early intervention are two of the key factors in improving prognosis -- but too often, writes Siff Exkorn, parents get bogged down in denial or confusion about the still mysterious disorder, and are unable to take the necessary steps. Providing accessible medical information gleaned from the world's foremost experts, Siff Exkorn offers an inside look at families with children who have autism, and ties in her own firsthand experience as a parent. The author shares valuable knowledge about the following: With extensive appendices, including the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Diagnostic Criteria for the Five Pervasive Developmental Disorders, and carefully selected lists of Internet resources, recommended readings, and top autism organizations worldwide, The Autism Sourcebook is the single most comprehensive, practical resource available to parents and loved ones of children with autism.

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Reference, Nonfiction

432 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2005

Reviews

[Chamois]

If you've ever wondered about Autism - this is the book to read! It's meant more for parents of recently diagnosed autistic children, but there is so much information, the disorder is explained very thoroughly, and even gives real life examples/testimonies. I read this on my own simply because I was curious, and then later on was able to use it for an informative speech. So glad I read this! There is so much we don't know about autistic children, and this book gets us just a little closer to understanding.

[Anna Kļaviņa]

Very good

This book ,in easy to understand way , explains what autism is, what are the warning signs, tells about therapies and gives advices, etc. As the title say sourcebook for parents who have autistic child.

Note: The chapter about financial help is how it works in USA.

[Stephanie]

In some ways this is dated (almost 20 years old) and things have changed since then. This book is supposed to help parents reduce overwhelm when facing an autism diagnosis, but as someone who is going to be getting children evaluated it still was very overwhelming, and there wasn't a lot on high functioning/aspergers treatment, which will likely be more applicable to me.

[Joshua Ong]

First off, the information is outdated since it was published in 2005. Nobody can recover from autism. It cannot be cured. The first chapter said autistic children have little or no interest in making friends with other people but that’s a generalization.

[Beth]

Not recommended if your child was diagnosed after 10 years old. Otherwise great resource.

[Ricky Kimsey]

Good Source

I needed a good source of information about autism and this seems to fit the bill. More for parents and care givers but still a good source of information.

[Lydia]

My young son was recently diagnosed with autism, and I've been researching treatments ever since then. His occupational therapist lent me this book to read. I was very impressed with how much information was packed into it. I had been briefly exposed to almost everything in this book during my research, but now finally I had everything compiled into one source. A very readable, easy to understand resource.

If a family member or friend of yours has an ASD and you want to learn more about it, this is a fantastic starting point.

[Julia]

Great intro book! If you just received a diagnosis, then this is a good place to start. Explains the autism spectrum, what to expect, and frequently asked questions that most parents ask. It also introduces the reader to various treatment options, but it only provides a summary of each treatment. This should be one of the first resources you read and then, you will need to read more books on specific treatments like cheleation, diet, etc.

[Dee-Ann]

This did not really help ... I was given this early in my son's and our adventure into the world of autism and found that it did not answer my questions, provoked more questions, heavy on written material (no pictures) and though it presented a wide range of therapies, many of them are not accessible where we live.

I have given this book to my sons school as it may benefit others more than it did me.

[beauty_andbooks]

What I liked:
✔️Helpful to work with clients, both children and adults
✔️Broken down into easily readable sections
✔️Personal stories mixed with fact

What I didn’t like:
✔️focused more on typical symptoms seen in male children. Would have preferred some symptoms discussed usually seen in female population

[Season Cotterell]

Of all the books on Autism and I have read a few this one is by far the most helpful. It helped me learn what was going on and why I was having the reaction I was. I think this is a great book for anyone to read who knows a child with autism.

[Brittney]

This is a fantastic book for parents of newly diagnosed autistic children. We are 6 months into this and it was very helpful in understanding what is ahead of us and what is available treatment wise for my son.

[Mary]

Ironically, this book came out the same week my son was diagnosed with Autism. I found it to be extremely helpful in sorting out the many questions we had about our road ahead. Definitely for families who are new to the autism community.

[Damian Kinsella]

lots of useful info here on what paths to take when dealing with autism. recovery is possible, get them started!

[Tiffany Fraser]

I was watching "The View" and they were talking about this book so I went and bought it....very informative. It's written by a parent so it's written in terms that I can understand.

[Cris]

The best book I've read so far on autism because it does not try to be full of jargon. It is clear, gives parctical advice and debunks the professional 'autism parent' types.

[KristenReviews]

Very informative and helpful book.

[Karen]

The title part that says "everything you need to know" is about right. Even though it was written in 2007, there's a lot of good information for anyone who wants to know more about autism.

[Bryan]

A comprehensive and thoughtful journey through raising a child on the Autism spectrum, from someone who's been there. Great for parents and teachers.