Autism Solutions

March 7, 2011
In the introduction to this comprehensive resource on how to deal with autism, California pediatrician Robinson recounts her first encounter with the syndrome 20 years ago. At the time considered rare, today autism spectrum disorder affects one in 110 children in America, she states. Robinson vowed to find help for her first autistic patient and accompanied the child's parents to a meeting with pre-eminent child psychiatrist Stanley Greenspan, who wrote the foreword to this book and became Robinson's mentor. In 1998, Robinson decided to devote her entire practice to children with ASD and within months her wait list had grown to more than 1,000. In six parts, Robinson discusses autism's symptoms and possible causes, sensory-motor systems, evaluation and treatment plans, communication issues, medical concerns, and how to help the autistic child live a meaningful life. Robinson writes with authority and compassion, pointing out that with a properly devised individual treatment plan (she uses Greenspan's model, called "Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-based (DIR)/Floortime," a multidisciplinary approach to evaluation and treatment), all of her clients have made progress, including her first autistic patient, now in college. With her background in pediatric medicine, the author is particularly attuned to medical and behavioral issues that can complicate autism (i.e., allergies, sleep issues, recurrent infections, anxiety). This is a useful and reassuring text for families facing the disorder.

April 15, 2011
Families and physicians who care for the one in 110 U.S. kids with autism can learn a great deal in this can-do guide to the developmental disorder. Written by a pediatrician who is prominent in the autism world, the book covers signs (a young child fails to respond to his name or to imitate others) and symptoms: anxiety, compulsive and repetitive behavior, hyperactivity and impulsivity, aggressiveness, mood changes, tics, and delusions. Robinson addresses treatment, which should always include plenty of two-way communication, and medical issues, which can include sleep, dietary, and psychological problems. Despite the lack of a cure for autism, the author stays upbeat. At the beginning of the book, she explains how she took on the work of helping kids with the disorder after a friend came to her with a young autistic son. In the epilogue, that boy just finished up his first year of college. Its tough to write a hopeful book about autism, but Robinsonwho encourages parents to help their kids find their niche and create a meaningful lifemanages to do it.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)