Learning to Live with High Functioning Autism: A Parent's Guide for Professionals

✍ Scribed by Mike Stanton

• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 129
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

When the author's son, Matthew, was finally diagnosed with autism at 12 years old, they thought the diagnosis marked the end of their troubles. In fact, despite the increase in reported levels of autism, appropriate support and clear information were hard to find. The author points out that parents, who could be a valuable source of information and help to busy professionals, are seldom involved in the educational process, and are often made to feel guilty about their children's autism. In this book, the author provides an explanation of the autistic specturm and dissects and dispels some of the myths about autistic behaviour and various types of autism. Intended for the professionals who work with autistic people and their families and friends, this book draws on the Stanton family's experiences, and the experiences of other families, to offer a portrayal of what living with autism is actually like for all those involved and to argue that learning to live with autism is a two-way process.

✦ Table of Contents

Learning to Live with High Functioning Autism: A Parent’s Guide for Professionals......Page 4
Contents......Page 6
Acknowledgements......Page 11
Author’s Note......Page 12
1 Introduction......Page 14
2 A Parent’s Tale......Page 18
The nature of autism......Page 22
The range of autistic spectrum disorders......Page 23
Definitions and diagnoses......Page 25
Difficulties with diagnosis......Page 28
A signpost not a label......Page 30
Our experiences......Page 32
5 Conflict and Partnership......Page 38
Parental responses – the worrier......Page 39
Breakdown and conflict......Page 40
Partnership......Page 45
6 Brothers and Sisters......Page 48
Miracle cures......Page 52
Missing diagnoses......Page 54
Early intervention......Page 55
8 Childhood......Page 60
Peer group changes......Page 64
Changes to themselves......Page 65
Adults change......Page 66
Autism is for life......Page 68
Avoiding unfortunate situations......Page 70
Investing in autism......Page 71
I cannot tell a lie......Page 74
People with autism are self-absorbed......Page 76
Bursting the autistic bubble......Page 77
‘That’s not autism. All kids do that’......Page 78
Aint misbehavin’......Page 79
Beam me up, Scottie!......Page 80
Thinking like a human......Page 81
Mild autism?......Page 82
Asperger syndrome, temper tantrums and panic attacks – what it is like......Page 84
Meltdown......Page 87
Responding to challenging behaviour......Page 88
They may not realize you are talking to them......Page 92
Too much stress can overload the system......Page 93
Problems with meaning......Page 94
Taking things literally......Page 96
Being pedantic......Page 97
Alternatives......Page 98
The need for partnership......Page 100
The difficulties schools face......Page 101
Remedial versus prosthetic models of support......Page 102
Study skills......Page 103
Problems with writing......Page 104
Bullying......Page 105
Too clever by half ?......Page 107
Integration and inclusion – the least restrictive environment......Page 110
Getting it right......Page 113
Friendship circles and buddy systems......Page 114
Transition to secondary school......Page 115
Diversity and choice......Page 116
Flexi-schooling......Page 117
The range of available interventions......Page 119
16 Conclusion......Page 122
References and Resources......Page 124