Embracing Autism

"The voices here confirm what I've always suspected: everyone is part of one large continuum, and the approaches and insights recounted here can help any parent, any educator, any person deal with any child—or, for that matter, any other person—more effectively and with more compassion. I only wish I'd encountered earlier this cadre of experienced and caring individuals whose humor and resourcefulness represent clearly how best to love and nurture a child."—Cynthia Nitz Ris, J.D., Ph.D., University of Cincinnati Through sensitive, sometimes humorous, experienced-based writing from teachers, clinicians, and parent activists in the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) community, this book will help educators and others to better understand the world inhabited by ASD children. The stories contained in the book will inspire and inform readers who are working day-to-day with children in the autism spectrum, providing valuable insights into what makes these kids tick and useful information on how they communicate, learn, and succeed. Robert Parish (Cincinnati, OH) is an award-winning journalist with four nationally broadcast public TV documentaries about Autism Spectrum Disorders to his credit, as well as more than 100 digital video projects about ASD for the educational market.

This book is about the process and unique challenges that parents of autistic children inevitably go through. In these pages, I have described the enigma of trying to understand the thought processes of my child and the bewildering behaviors that made this necessary. Here are chronicled many anecdotes, a slice of our family life that is true in spirit and details, that have shaped my relationship with my name's sake, James W. Strode, or our Jimmy.

Internationally acclaimed life coach, Dr. Claire Jack, draws on her extensive experience of working with women with autism, in addition to her personal experience as a woman with autism, to help you shape the life you deserve. This book takes you through the stages you might encounter in coming to terms with your autism - from fear to relief, shame to self-validation, confusion to excitement - so that you can lead a life which respects and celebrates your unique needs. Do you want to continue living a life which is just ok? Or do you deserve to live a life which allows you to embrace your true self? If "ok" isn't enough any more, this book will support you in creating the changes you desire. So many women with autism spend their lives masking, or camouflaging, their autistic symptoms that they lose their sense of self. This book helps you accept yourself, as you are, and move towards a point of authenticity. After a lifetime of feeling confused, emotionally overwhelmed, socially awkward and being considered "odd" by others, many women become so good at camouflaging that they forget who they are and what they need from life. They may suffer from low self-esteem, anxiety, depression and self-sabotaging coping mechanisms. Masking seems like a common sense approach to pass as "normal", but the cost is huge. This book explores what it is to live in a world where you stop trying to be that square peg fitting into a round hole, and explore how you can make the hole fit your needs instead. From mundane everyday decisions to life changing choices, you'll learn how to create a world in which you and others value you. This book takes you on a journey, from exploring how and why you might choose to seek out a diagnosis, to how to nurture your unique autistic brain with passions and interests, to how to create healthy social boundaries and develop emotional regulation strategies. You're provided with exercises which encourage you to think about what autism means to you and how you can practically apply what you've learned. Throughout, you're provided with insights into the experiences of the many inspirational women I have worked with who, like you, have faced considerable challenges in their lives and who have been determined to turning their lives around.

When she was told that her 20-month-old son had autism, Dr. Andrea Libutti was devastated. Therapists said he would never communicate with others, nor would he ever form meaningful relationships. Still, Andrea refused to accept that dim prognosis and instead embarked on a years-long journey of discovery and healing. Using her position as a physician to gain access to a variety of specialists, she explored every promising biomedical and behavioral therapy. Eventually, she came to see that we must consider autism not just from a physical perspective but from an emotional and spiritual one as well. In Awakened by Autism, Andrea distills the results of the research she undertook and relays her personal experiences as she tried one treatment after another in search of a way to help her son. She shares her understanding of the multifactorial nature of autism and the problems inherent in how many health-care professionals view the disorder—all culminating in her ultimate revelation: that each child has unique needs and requires a personalized plan for healing. More than just a practical guide to our children’s health, Awakened by Autism is a starting point for healing ourselves and our world. It calls for a paradigm shift surrounding our beliefs about the possibilities for those with autism, allowing us to uncover their hidden brilliance while taking steps to improve their well-being. With the help of this book, we can heal our families beyond all expectations.

Getting an autism diagnosis for your child can be life-changing, but it doesn't have to be life-ending... With Embracing Autism, you can discover a new way of thinking about autism as autistic self-advocate and mom of five, including one autistic child, Kaylene George holds your hand and guides you step by step through your journey from an autism-parent to a true autism advocate. There's a divide in the autism community between parents and autistic self-advocates, and since she's both, Kaylene can help you navigate the waters with grace. Discover how to understand your child's meltdowns. Find out how to advocate for your child's needs. And discover the true joy that autism brings to so many families every day.

With the continued rise in the diagnosis of autism for school-aged students, particularly in the United States, the need for tailoring our instructional practices and programs for this population is at a pivotal point. Embracing and Educating the Autistic Child: Valuing Those Who Color Outside the Lines, takes a look at the extensive research pertaining to the unique learning needs and characteristics of the autistic student. The authors provide valuable insights into how educators, school leaders, parents, community members and college professors can turn the tide to academic success for this population of students.

'Reading this felt like being at home - I didn't realise how much I masked. What an incredible book that I know will be re-read many times over.' - Dr Camilla Pang, author of Explaining Humans 'Unmasking Autism is at once a most deeply personal and scholarly account of the damage caused by autistic (and all) people leading masked lives, and how unmasking is essential to creating a self-determined, authentic life... This is a remarkable work that will stand at the forefront of the neurodiversity movement.' - Dr Barry M. Prizant, author of Uniquely Human 'A powerful argument for radical self-acceptance applicable to all readers.' - Los Angeles Times 'An essential roadmap for autistic people to be themselves.' - NPR 'Price's accessible and compassionate writing shines, and readers will feel encouraged to embrace a new understanding of themselves. Its potential to help masked autistic adults, especially those from systemically marginalized backgrounds, makes this book essential for most collections.' - Library Journal (starred review) Have you, a friend or family member been living with undiagnosed autism? For every visibly Autistic person you meet, there are countless 'masked' people who pass as neurotypical. They don't fit the stereotypical mould of Autism and are often forced by necessity to mask who they are, spending their entire lives trying to hide their Autistic traits. In particular, there is evidence that Autism remains significantly undiagnosed in women, people of colour, trans and gender non-conforming people, many of whom are only now starting to recognise those traits later in life. Blending cutting-edge research, personal insights and practical exercises for self-expression, Dr Devon Price examines the phenomenon of 'masking', making a passionate argument for radical authenticity and non-conformity. A powerful call for change, Unmasking Autism gifts its readers with the tools to uncover their true selves and build a new society - one where everyone can thrive on their own terms.

Owner of "the most remarkable mind on the planet," (according to Entertainment Weekly) Daniel Tammet captivated readers and won worldwide critical acclaim with the 2007 New York Times bestselling memoir, Born On A Blue Day, and its vivid depiction of a life with autistic savant syndrome. In his fascinating new book, he writes with characteristic clarity and personal awareness as he sheds light on the mysteries of savants' incredible mental abilities, and our own. Tammet explains that the differences between savant and non-savant minds have been exaggerated; his astonishing capacities in memory, math and language are neither due to a cerebral supercomputer nor any genetic quirk, but are rather the results of a highly rich and complex associative form of thinking and imagination. Autistic thought, he argues, is an extreme variation of a kind that we all do, from daydreaming to the use of puns and metaphors. Embracing the Wide Sky combines meticulous scientific research with Tammet's detailed descriptions of how his mind works to demonstrate the immense potential within us all. He explains how our natural intuitions can help us to learn a foreign language, why his memories are like symphonies, and what numbers and giraffes have in common. We also discover why there is more to intelligence than IQ, how optical illusions fool our brains, and why too much information can make you dumb. Many readers will be particularly intrigued by Tammet's original ideas concerning the genesis of genius and exceptional creativity. He illustrates his arguments with examples as diverse as the private languages of twins, the compositions of poets with autism, and the breakthroughs, and breakdowns, of some of history's greatest minds. Embracing the Wide Sky is a unique and brilliantly imaginative portrait of how we think, learn, remember and create, brimming with personal insights and anecdotes, and explanations of the most up-to-date, mind-bending discoveries from fields ranging from neuroscience to psychology and linguistics. This is a profound and provocative book that will transform our understanding and respect for every kind of mind.