Anyone who has a child with autism will have experienced that inexplicable feeling of confusion when they receive their child’s diagnosis. There will be relief that there is an answer, a reason for their child’s differences, combined with a sense of feeling lost as to what to do next.
When I first heard that diagnosis many years ago I began to read. I went to the library and read anything and everything I could find on Autism. To be honest a lot of it didn’t really feel as though it was written about my child and it really didn’t help.Things have changed a lot since then and now you can find a lot of information on the internet. You can also find other parents in the same situation to talk to which helps immensely.
I was recently sent a copy of How to Help Your Autistic Spectrum Child by Jackie Brealy and Beverly Davies to look at. It’s been a long while since I read an actual book on the subject of autism but it’s so good to have it to hand to dip into whenever I had the time and refer to whenever I needed to.
The subheading of the book is ‘Practical ways to make family life run more smoothly.’ Now, if you do have an autistic child at home you will appreciate any help at all to make life run smoothly. Life with autism can be anything but smooth running.
The book begins by outlining the key features of an autism spectrum disorder and how you can spot if your child has one. It then goes on to offer help and advice in all sorts of areas such as communication, behaviour and obsessions.
The book talks about schools, how to choose the best type of school for your child and how to help your child to cope with school life. It outlines the pros and cons of choosing a mainstream school or a special school or whether home schooling would be best for your child. It also gives some advice on what to do when problems arise at school such as bullying.
There are also chapters on treatments and therapies and getting help from professionals. The book also goes into teenage and young adult life for someone on the autistic spectrum.
Unlike many books on autism I like how this book has a very personal feel. The authors know what it’s like to be the parent of an autistic child and the book is interspersed with little personal stories. The book is also a journey from infancy to adulthood and tells you how you can cope with everything that happens in between. It is written in a way that is easy to understand and would suit all kinds of parents.
To conclude, I would recommend this book for any parent of an autistic child, no matter where they are on their journey. You can read from beginning to end or just dip and in and find useful information that you need at the time. It’s not a huge book, the information is concise and practically presented.
You can buy How to Help your Autistic Spectrum Child in paperback on Amazon for £12.99
Sometimes its those personal stories that make all the difference rather than just the 'theory'. Great review – sounds like a useful book. x