Autism & Asperger's Syndrome Books - Page 2

Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure

Paul A. Offit

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Columbia University Press Amazon Marketplace: 53 new & used starting at $15.07

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 42 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A London researcher was the first to assert that the combination measles-mumps-rubella vaccine known as MMR caused autism in children. Following this "discovery," a handful of parents declared that a mercury-containing preservative in several vaccines was responsible for the disease. If mercury caused autism, they reasoned, eliminating it from a child's system should treat the disorder. Consequently, a number of untested alternative therapies arose, and, most tragically, in one such treatment, a doctor injected a five-year-old autistic boy with a chemical in an effort to cleanse him of mercury, which stopped his heart instead.

Children with autism have been placed on stringent diets, subjected to high-temperature saunas, bathed in magnetic clay, asked to swallow digestive enzymes and activated charcoal, and injected with various combinations of vitamins, minerals, and acids. Instead of helping, these therapies can hurt those who are most vulnerable, and particularly in the case of autism, they undermine childhood vaccination programs that have saved millions of lives. An overwhelming body of scientific evidence clearly shows that childhood vaccines are safe and does not cause autism. Yet widespread fear of vaccines on the part of parents persists.

In this book, Paul A. Offit, a national expert on vaccines, challenges the modern-day false prophets who have so egregiously misled the public and exposes the opportunism of the lawyers, journalists, celebrities, and politicians who support them. Offit recounts the history of autism research and the exploitation of this tragic condition by advocates and zealots. He considers the manipulation of science in the popular media and the courtroom, and he explores why society is susceptible to the bad science and risky therapies put forward by many antivaccination activists.

Thinking in Pictures, Expanded Edition: My Life with Autism

Temple Grandin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Fascinating Book - Very Accessible 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Dr. Grandin lectures on animal husbandry as well as autism. I've seen her speak in person. She's a very interesting individual. Her way of speaking comes through in the book. She writes very well for the layman.

She covers her career, her interests, and her autism. If you are interested in animal husbandry, interesting women, autism, then this is a good book. If you have autistic kids and feel really under it, its very reassuring to see how this one autistic person has done very well for herself, thanks to early intervention by her parents as well as determination and intelligence on her part.

I also like her personally, because I have had mixed feelings about being an omnivore and am glad she's out there making the experience of animals in our food production a lot less harrowing.

Editorial Review:

Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is a gifted animal scientist who has designed one third of all the livestock-handling facilities in the United States. She also lectures widely on autism—because Temple Grandin is autistic, a woman who thinks, feels, and experiences the world in ways that are incomprehensible to the rest of us.

In this unprecedented book, Grandin delivers a report from the country of autism. Writing from the dual perspectives of a scientist and an autistic person, she tells us how that country is experienced by its inhabitants and how she managed to breach its boundaries to function in the outside world. What emerges in Thinking in Pictures is the document of an extraordinary human being, one who, in gracefully and lucidly bridging the gulf between her condition and our own, sheds light on the riddle of our common identity.

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome

Kathy Hoopmann

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Jessica Kingsley Pub Amazon Marketplace: 47 new & used starting at $8.97

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 80 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Amazing Book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I am truly saddened to see some of these negative reviews here for a book that is so highly treasured in my house. I purchased it for my six year old son with Asperger's Syndrome and he simply adores it. I think it serves as a very helpful tool in explaining to a young child what the symptoms of Asperger's are and help them to recognize their own behaviors. We also have "Of Mice and Aliens" and nobody does it better than Kathy Hoopman. She is the perfect voice of reason in helping Aspie kids understand and cope with their situation.

Editorial Review:

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome takes a playful look at Asperger Syndrome (AS), drawing inspiration from the feline world in a way that will strike a chord with all those who are familiar with AS.
Delightful color photographs of cats bring to life familiar characteristics such as sensitive hearing, scampering at the first sign of being stroked and particular eating habits.
Touching, humorous and insightful, this book evokes the difficulties and joys of raising a child who is different and leaves the reader with a sense of the dignity, individuality and potential of people with AS.
This engaging book is an ideal, gentle introduction to the world of AS.

When My Worries Get Too Big! A Relaxation Book for Children Who Live with Anxiety

Kari Dunn Buron

Amazon Price: $12.89 List Price: $18.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Autism Asperger Publishing Company Amazon Marketplace: 20 new & used starting at $9.35

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great for all kids, helpful for parents and teachers 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I have bought and given several copies of this book. It helps give a language to feelings that might otherwise be hard to describe.

Works great for my 4 yr. old 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I used this book with my barely 4 year old (developmentally normal) who has 'anger management' issues that originate with anxiety. There are pages in the book that we were able to write or draw pictures of how he felt. The scale of 1 (calm and safe) to 5 (out of control) was a concept that he grasped right away. He is getting better and better at recognizing when he's getting worried before he gets to a 5. If he does lose control and melts down, just the verbal cue "what number are you at" or asking him to calm down and try to get back to a 1 or 2, and he immediately starts to use his strategies - deep breathing, squeezing hands, thinking happy thoughts. I love this book.

Worry Book for Kids 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is a really cute book for kids who worry. It is not real meaty but the concept is great. It helps them put worry into perspective and gives a scale to help prioritize worries.

Editorial Review:

This book is replacing "When My Autism Gets Too Big."

Can I Tell You About Asperger Syndrome?: A Guide for Friends and Family

Jude Welton

Amazon Price: $9.95 List Price: $9.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 32 new & used starting at $5.27

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Good basic book in very simple language 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

It is important to remember with any book you purchase regarding Aspergers and Autism that people on the Autism spectrum are not "cookie-cutter-cases". Each person is an individual and no book will cover ALL aspects. This book is written in a childs voice and is very easy to understand. Are you going to walk away from reading it profoundly enlightened? No. Are you going to have a more simplistic understanding of the day to day situations and life of a child with Asp? Yes. I purchased this book for my son's grandparents, his older brother and for him. It gives him a voice and something to relate too (not on all issues, but most). The book is extremely easy to read and fast. I read through the entire book in under an hour while helping my son with his homework. A great addition to your personal and lending library.

Editorial Review:

Meet Adam - a young boy with AS. Adam invites young readers to learn about AS from his perspective. In this book, Adam helps children understand the difficulties faced by a child with AS; he tells them what AS is, what it feels like to have AS and how they can help children with AS by understanding their differences and appreciating their many talents. This book is ideally suited for boys and girls between 7 and 15 years old and also serves as an excellent starting point for family and classroom discussions.

Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior

Temple Grandin, Catherine Johnson

Amazon Price: $16.50 List Price: $25.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Scribner Amazon Marketplace: 129 new & used starting at $0.59

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 158 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Temple Grandin's Animals in Translation speaks in the clear voice of a woman who emerged from the other side of autism, bringing with her an extraordinary message about how animals think and feel.

Temple's professional training as an animal scientist and her history as a person with autism have given her a perspective like that of no other expert in the field. Standing at the intersection of autism and animals, she offers unparalleled observations and groundbreaking ideas about both.

Autistic people can often think the way animals think -- in fact, Grandin and co-author Catherine Johnson see autism as a kind of way station on the road from animals to humans -- putting autistic people in the perfect position to translate "animal talk." Temple is a faithful guide into their world, exploring animal pain, fear, aggression, love, friendship, communication, learning, and, yes, even animal genius. Not only are animals much smarter than anyone ever imagined, in some cases animals are out-and-out brilliant.

The sweep of Animals in Translation is immense, merging an animal scientist's thirty years of study with her keen perceptions as a person with autism -- Temple sees what others cannot.

Among its provocative ideas, the book:

• argues that language is not a requirement for consciousness -- and that animals do have consciousness

• applies the autism theory of "hyper-specificity" to animals, showing that animals and autistic people are so sensitive to detail that they "can't see the forest for the trees" -- a talent as well as a "deficit"

• explores the "interpreter" in the normal human brain that filters out detail, leaving people blind to much of the reality that surrounds them -- a reality animals and autistic people see, sometimes all too clearly

• explains how animals have "superhuman" skills: animals have animal genius

• compares animals to autistic savants, declaring that animals may in fact be autistic savants, with special forms of genius that normal people do not possess and sometimes cannot even see

• examines how humans and animals use their emotions to think, to decide, and even to predict the future

• reveals the remarkable abilities of handicapped people and animals

• maintains that the single worst thing you can do to an animal is to make it feel afraid

Temple Grandin is like no other author on the subject of animals because of her training and because of her autism: understanding animals is in her blood and in her bones.

Children with Starving Brains: A Medical Treatment Guide for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Jaquelyn McCandless

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Bramble Books Amazon Marketplace: 21 new & used starting at $18.78

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 87 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

In the midst of a worldwide epidemic of autism, ADD, and ADHD, this book is a message of hope to parents embarking on the challenging journey of finding proper medical care for their Autism Spectrum Disorder children. Genetic susceptibility activated by "triggers" such as pesticides and heavy metals in vaccines can lead to immune system impairment, gut dysfunction, and pathogen invasion such as yeast and viruses in many children. This is the first book written by an experienced clinician that gives a step-by-step treatment guide for parents and doctors based on the understanding that ASD is a complex biomedical illness resulting in significant brain malnutrition. Dr. McCandless, whose grandchild with autism has inspired her "broad spectrum approach," describes important diagnostic tools needed to select appropriate treatment programs. Her book explains major therapies newly available and identifies safe and effective options for parents and physicians working together to improve the health of these special children.

Engaging Autism: Using the Floortime Approach to Help Children Relate, Communicate, and Think (Merloyd Lawrence Book)

Stanley I. Greenspan, Serena Wieder

Amazon Price: $12.24 List Price: $18.00 Not yet published By: Da Capo Lifelong Books

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Definitely helpful 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Engaging Autism has been one of my mainstays for working with families with children in the autism spectrum. I have been able to teach them simple strategies from the Floortime method that allows them to quickly see glimmers of engagement with their children. Dr. Greenspan's explanations of why these children have problems and how to help them find us worth joining is very thoughtful.

Parents that I have recommended this book to have come back with a better appreciation of the struggles and strengths of their children. They are more ready to get down to their child's developmental social-emotional level to allow them to grow, thus enabling them to be available to the other therapies that are needed.

Not everyone has a Floortime/DIR trained therapist available to work with them, but with this book they at least have some strategies to include as they play with, work with, and learn to enjoy the child they have.

Editorial Review:

Grateful parents and professionals worldwide have welcomed this essential guide to the highly recommended Floortime approach for treating children with any of the autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Now available in paperback, Engaging Autism includes new, exciting information on neuroscience research into the effects of this approach, plus guidance for parents navigating the controversies surrounding the treatment of autism.

Unlike approaches that focus on changing specific behavior, Greenspan’s program promotes the building blocks of healthy emotional and behavioral development. He shows that, remarkably, children with ASD do not have a fixed, limited potential, and may often join their peers to lead full, psychologically healthy lives. The Floortime approach can also be applied at any age—including early infancy, when the first signs of risk for ASD may appear—so that preventing the full development of autism becomes a real possibility.

The Social Skills Picture Book Teaching play, emotion, and communication to children with autism

Dr. Jed Baker

Amazon Price: $26.37 List Price: $39.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Future Horizons Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $23.89

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

My 7 Year Old Aspie LOVES this book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My son and I love this book. The stories and photos are highly relevant, and some make my son laugh. He loves to see how the children do the "wrong" thing and then the "right" way, and finds the wrong way highly amusing. HIGHLY recommended!

Awesome for Asperger's Kids 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Great answer & guidance for families with Asperger's children.

We love it.

It's a "Must have"-Great book for teaching an autistic child 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This social skills picture book is instrumental in helping my son learn every day life skills through pictures. I borrowed it from a friend and began using it with him. When she asked me to return it, I decided I needed one too. It keeps my son engaged for at least 20-30 minutes at a time and he is communicating with me through questions and giving answers. I have a lot of books and there are none that quite match up to this one. It's a "must have".

Editorial Review:

Seeing is learning. Dr. Jed Baker embraces this philosophy in this a dynamic teaching tool that engages the attention and motivation of students who need a little extra help learning appropriate social skills by using pictures of children mastering skills such as communication, play, emotion, and empathy.

Freaks, Geeks & Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence

Luke Jackson

Amazon Price: $12.89 List Price: $18.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Jessica Kingsley Pub Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $9.41

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 54 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Have you ever been called a freak or a geek? Have you ever felt like one? Luke Jackson is 13 years old and has Asperger Syndrome. Over the years Luke has learned to laugh at such names but there are other aspects of life which are more difficult. Adolescence and the teenage years are a minefield of emotions, transitions and decisions and when a child has Asperger Syndrome, the result is often explosive.
Luke has three sisters and one brother in various stages of their adolescent and teenage years but he is acutely aware of just how different he is and how little information is available for adolescents like himself.
Drawing from his own experiences and gaining information from his teenage brother and sisters, he wrote this enlightening, honest and witty book in an attempt to address difficult topics such as bullying, friendships, when and how to tell others about AS, school problems, dating, relationships and morality.
Luke writes briefly about his younger autistic and AD/HD brothers, providing amusing insights into the antics of his younger years and advice for parents, carers and teachers of younger AS children. However, his main reason for writing was because "so many books are written about us, but none are written directly to adolescents with Asperger Syndrome. I thought I would write one in the hope that we could all learn together."