Autism Resources: General Information

Apr 29, 2008 -

Autism/Special Needs, Awareness, Resources

Autism Resources: General Information

As with every topic I have covered during Autism Awareness Month, there are many more resources available that I can list here. We are truly blessed to have so much more in terms of options and information easily accessible than the parents who have gone before us and paved the way. With that said, here are three of my favorite books on autism spectrum disorder:

Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Complete Guide to Understanding Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and Other ASDs by Chantal Sicile-Kira

This book is a wonderful all-around resource written by a professional who is also a parent of a child with autism. She takes you through understanding what autism is (and what it is not) to the various treatments that are available and continues on to discuss family, educational, and community issues. Ms. Sicile-Kira has a companion book titled Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum, and I see on Amazon that she has a book on Autism Life Skills due out in October 2008.

The Everything Parent’s Guide to Children With Autism: Know What to Expect, Find the Help You Need, and Get Through the Day (Everything Series) by Adelle Jameson Tilton

As a “new” parent, i.e. having just received a diagnosis of autism for our son, this book helped me tremendously by providing information in an easily digested format and touching on a large variety of topics. I was completely overwhelmed by the information I was receiving from all around me, and this book gave me a foothold to start my climb.

The Autism Encyclopedia by John T. Neisworth and Pamela S. Wolfe, Ph.D.

The two editors, both from Penn State University, used many contributors from different professional arenas to compile this encyclopedia of terms related to autism spectrum disorder. It is cross-referenced and includes lists of screening and assessment tools and of organizations in the appendices.