Tuesday, January 4, 2011

My Autism Book List

I admit, the first book on autism I read was Jenny McCarthy's Louder Than Words. But if you're a parent  who has recently heard "your child has autism" - hers is NOT the book I would recommend. While I admire and appreciate Jenny McCarthy for bringing awareness to autism, I completely disagree with many of her opinions and overall philosophy. But that's for another post.    


This is a list of some of the books that I've read since Norrin's diagnosis. Books that have inspired me, given me hope and provided me with the tools and resources I needed to best advocate.

  1. Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew by Ellen Notbohm  
  2. 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders by Ellen Notbohm and Veronica Zysk 
  3. Early Intervention and Autism by James Ball, ED.D, BCBA
  4. The Child With Special Needs by Stanley Greenspan, MD, Serena Wieder, PhD with Robin Simons
  5. The Out of Sync Child Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder by Carol Kranowitz 
  6. Overcoming Autism by Lynn Kern Koegel, PhD and Claire LaZebnik
  7. The Everyday Advocate: Standing Up for Your Child with Autism by Areva Martin, Esq.
  8. Wrights Law From Emotion to Advocacy 2nd Edition by Pam Wright and Pete Wright
  9. Playing, Laughing and Learning with Children on the Autism Spectrum by Julia Moor
  10. Eating for Autism: The 10 Step Nutrition Plan by Elizabeth Strickland, MS, RD, LD
And of course, anything written by Temple Grandin is a must read.   

I realize that purchasing books can get expensive. So visit your local library or ask if any of these books are available at your child's school - a teacher may lend one to you. Talk to other moms and swap books.  Whenever possible, buy them used on Amazon, Ebay or Barnes & Nobles. Visit websites and google to your heart's content for information.

If you've read a book that has been inspiring or especially helpful - please let me know. Would love to hear from you. 


Note: I've left children's books on autism off my list.  Since Norrin is an only child, we don't have a need for a sibling autism book.  And Norrin doesn't yet have the cognitive ability to understand autism.            

4 comments:

  1. I have read a few of these and I also like true stories of families and how they manage: like the blogs, they give me hope :)

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  2. Thank you so much!

    Absolutely - the blogs are so great to read. And I love the diversity of the families and their individual story. All of our stories are unique and that is the fascinating thing about autism. No one story is ever the same. :)

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  3. I am so glad to hear someone else say how much they thank Jenny McCarthy for bringing attention to autism -- but it's off-base and inaccurate, much of it. While she may fancy herself one of "us autism moms", she does not live in the real world of holding a full-time job with just enough income with not much extra for the extra social skills groups and out-of-pocket therapy that you hope insurance will deem worthy of coverage. It's also dismaying to know that the idea that vaccines are viewed as the reason behind the explosion in diagnoses and that Jenny McCarthy blames those who are truly trying to study this complex and perplexing disorder as idiots. I wonder if she still feels that way about Andrew Wakefield now? Autism is hard enough for those with it and for those who parent them.

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  4. Thank you so much Anonymous! EXACTLY how I feel! She has resources at her disposal, her name will get her through the long waiting lists. And I feel like her stance that she's "cured" her son gives other parents a false sense of hope. There really is no cure. Our children will always have autism.

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AutismWonderland - written by Lisa Quinones-Fontanez - is a personal blog chronicling a NYC family's journey with autism, while also sharing local resources for children/families with special needs.