The Australian Autism Handbook: The essential guide for parents of children with autism

by Benison O'Reilly, Seana Smith

Inclusive, comprehensive and compassionate, The Australian Autism Handbook offers support and guidance to families on their journey, from early signs and symptoms of ASD to diagnosis, intervention programs, schooling, issues such as eating, sleeping and toilet training, and navigating the medical maze.
In addition, it's integrated the many changes arising since its last publication, including changes in the language of autism, diagnoses, society, culture and agency.
Benison O'Reilly and Seana Smith are professional writers who both have children with autism, and their first-hand experience and research provides an indispensable one-stop manual for all Australian and New Zealand parents on raising a child on the autism spectrum.

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting

400 pages, Paperback

Published January 18, 2023

Reviews

[Thea Petrichor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some valuable descriptions of the practical steps to take. Recommends ABA which is a big no from me. As far as I can tell, neither author is autistic or been subjected to ABA themselves, only their children, and they don’t acknowledge enough the harm that a whole generation of now autistic adults are reporting as a result of ABA practices. They don’t include the very real concerns around creating compliant, vulnerable people who can’t express themselves, or the lack of opportunities for experiential learning. The intensity of this bs therapy, when austistic burnout is such a massive thing that requires recovery from, and this ‘therapy’ is basically ensuring neurocompliance or masking. It really tainted the rest of the book for me, and I saw this as a book seeking to create strategies where you autistic loved one is made to mask rather than true acceptance. You would very much need to do much more research. Really alarmed it gets so many pages as a ‘valid therapy’. Some of the parent experiences gave me an ‘ick feeling’ too.

Read ‘I was born on a blue day’, or ‘Different not less’, and check out ‘Yellow Lady Bugs’ and follow Summer Farrelly. Neurodivergent centred experiences and stories will give you a much better idea about autism than this book.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok. I liked that it was Australian, but both the framing and info seemed out of date for such a recent release, for example scoffing at the idea that anyone would be pleased to get an autism diagnosis for their kid. Really?! My kid is autistic and we were so relieved to get the official diagnosis because it validated what we already knew and gave us access to a frame in which our kid makes so much more sense. The book also made it sound like a diagnosis guaranteed NDIS funding, which is not the case, and suggested ABA which seems to be almost universally hated by autistic adults.

Perhaps this is a book for parents who don’t know anything about autism, but it should be read in conjunction with something more strengths-based like the Yellow Ladybugs guide.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a parent, but I chose to read this for educational purposes while studying OT. I found it to be a comprehensive and informative guide. I particularly valued reading the contributions from parents as they helped me better understand the lived experience of caring for a child with autism. Overall, The Australian Autism Handbook is a worthwhile resource.

[Sally Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a helpful resource for those supporting someone who has recently received an ASD diagnosis, or for those discerning, curious or seeking a diagnosis. In such an overwhelming time I found this to be such a helpful book. Forever grateful for these two wise women who lovingly crafted this to support others, having been through the journey themselves

[SL Abbott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping to learn something I didn’t already know. Not a thing. Perhaps this book is for people who suspect their children to be autistic. Diagnosis is not reliable before 6, but this book focuses on the early years, and touches on beginning schooling. I’m switching to memoirs, or books written by neurodiverse people for more empathetic reading.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic and comprehensive guide for parents of young children newly diagnosed with Autism. Should be recommended to every parent. Includes contributions from parents and autistic teens and young adults.

[Tegan (Slant Postscripts) · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at page 196 - I’m going to do myself a solid and not finish this. As an autistic adult, this was deeply uncomfortable to read and I shudder to think this might be where parents turn to for advice on their neurodivergent kids

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked up from big W for $25, lots of great info for parents. It's one of those books you'll need to refer to down the track as there's heaps of info in there