Customer Reviews
Absolutely Brilliant! - By: N. E. Maybury, 25 Feb 2008 
I bought this book to learn more about Autism as my son was recently diagnosed as being on the spectrum. This is a fantastic book & clearly explains how & why the child reacts in certain ways & situations. I'd recommend it to anyone dealing with a child with Autism; parents, carers, teaching assistants etc to give a brilliant insight into the child's mind. It's been such an insightful book that I've now bought 2 extra copies to loan to people who are working with my son. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
Ten Reasons to Buy This Book - By: BeatleBangs1964, 11 Feb 2008 This stellar book provides a logical list of ten basic precepts that every person, child or adult with autism would like for the neurotypical (NT) world to know.
People, children in particular are people first, not "autistic child, autistic person." Autism is a shorthand label for specific behaviors that are rooted in neurobiology. In short, autism is a sensori-neurobiological condition.
The main theme & the common thread that links the ten items on this "wish list" of sorts is extending basic human courtesy to people with autism. Readers will be provided ways in order to help honor the rights, dignity & best interests of people with autism. Parents & educators in particular will take this book to heart.
This author translates seemingly bizarre behavior to the neurotypical world. All behavior has a sensory base. Many people with autism have hyperacute hearing. Show me someone with autism who doesn't hate loud noises & I'll show you a singing Boston bulldog who can tap dance as well. All sensory modes are heightened in people who have autism. Smells are stronger; certain materials are unbearable to the touch & in some cases painful; tastes are very strong; the sight of certain things can elicit strong reactions that are either very positive or very negative. I knew people with autism who hated blinking lights & retreat or cover their eyes when in the presence of a light that blinked on & off.
Beatle fans with autism are a very interesting group indeed. The mere sight of a Beatle picture brings strong positive reactions; the Beatles' music triggers a series of highly positive responses as well.
This brilliant book demystifies meltdowns & identifies triggers. In cowboy parlance, this book will help you head them off at the pass. If you can't, you learn when to get out of Dodge fast. As difficult as the process is, it is always worth it & for children in particular, meltdowns are the result of being pushed past a certain point. It's like the 1968 George Harrison classic, "It's All Too Much." That song describes the Overload Experience quite well. "It's alll too much for me to see..it's alll too much for me to take..."
Some excellent prompts, cues & guides are provided to help children navigate throughout their day. Show me a person with autism who DOESN'T hate surprises/having things sprung on them & I'll show you that same singing Boston bulldog. Echoes of Carol Gray can be heard here; she is famous for her social stories & having children draw social comics to help script & anticipate certain social interactions. This gifted author helps people to see autism in a more accepting light by explaining the behaviors; providing tools of empowerment & keeping the tone of acceptance throughout the book.
This wonderful book makes me think of the 1978 Billy Joel song, "Just the Way You Are." I like the way she says that is an important message to convey to children on the spectrum - we like & love them just the way they are & the goal is to help them have happy, full productive lives & good social interactions & develop confidence.
This book is a giant step towards accomplishing alll that & then some.
Fantastic ASD - By: R. Mcdougall, 10 Dec 2007 
i have to comment on this very informative book. i myself have asperger syndrome & my brother has autism. this book is very good if you want to gain knowledge of the condition. it is good for parents & offers strategies to help. very enjoyable to read & it has opened my eyes.
A fantastic read!! - By: A. D. Bell, 09 Nov 2007 I was optimistic about reading this book. Things seem to be a whole lot worse after you have read about your childs problems, but not with this book, it's reallly, reallly good. Informative, truthful, easy to read & understand. This book has helped me understand my little girls world a bit better & to me that is an achievement for her & for me!! This gave me a much clearer picture of how she interprets things & how bad things can get for her(smells, sounds, lighting etc).If you need to know more about AS then, please read this book.
A useful overview - By: A. Clarke, 06 Mar 2007 The opening chapters of this book & the list of "Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew" give a useful overview & might be very helpful to newcomers to autism, or to those whose child has recently been diagnosed. The book focuses on explaining the reasons for various behaviours & as such gives a very useful insight into autism. I felt the book was limited by the author's experience of her own child. The many references to the author's son & his achievments, & her proudest moments, could be daunting for any parent of a child with autism & very severe language & communication difficulty & associated learning difficulty. The reality of day to day achievements for such parents might be very different from those portrayed in this book.
