The First Year--Autism Spectrum Disorders

April 13, 2009
Verdict: A comprehensive guide for parents coping with their child's recent autism spectrum diagnosis. Strongly recommended for consumer health collections. Background: Wiseman's excellent hands-on overview of the first-year following a child's diagnosis is based on her experience as president of First Signs, Inc., a national organization she founded to educate parents and professionals about the early signs of autism syndromes. Like Bryan Jepson in Changing the Course of Autism, Wiseman tries to stretch the understanding of autism from purely neurological/behavioral impairments to encompass "the entire body, including the brain, gut, and immune and metabolic systems." The book lays out day-by day, month-by-month guidelines for emotional acceptance and handling the details of home care, special education, insurance and medical costs, and negotiating with medical agencies and social bureaucracies.-James Swanton, Harlem Hosp. Lib., New York

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