Books on Autism Spectrum Disorders

If you've ever looked around your child's classroom and wondered what in the world these kids will be doing as adults, this memoir will serve as a telescope into the future. Author Kamran Nazeer tracks down some of his former classmates from an early childhood autism class, and while the stories he tells aren't specifically success stories, and some aren't exactly hopeful, all show the sometimes elaborate ways that adults with autism find to cope with the world. 4 Stars

A personal parenting memoir, this particular mother-and-boy story starts at his birth and runs through the onset of elementary school, with a PDD diagnosis, a search for appropriate services, much soul-searching, a million little toy cars, and a really eccentric green hat along the way. 4 Stars

It's overstating the case to say that this genuinely interesting book shows anything definitive about the autism "epidemic." But it does suggest, with largely anecdotal evidence, that cultural perceptions and parent advocacy may have more to do with autism's rise than vaccines or other environmental culprits. It's an interesting premise, though some may find it treasonous. 4 Stars

A guide to understanding metaphors might be the sort of thing you'd expect to find in a high school English class, not a special-needs parenting bookshelf. But this cleverly illustrated book was instead designed to help children with Asperger syndrome decipher expressions that don't mean what they say. In fact, any literal-thinking child can benefit from this cheerful resource. 4 Stars

The family story that started in Alex: The Fathering of a Preemie continues here in a collection of essays tracing Alex's growing up from 2003 to 2008. With an autism diagnosis as well as some leftover health effects from his prematurity, Alex gives his parents lots to deal with, but the essays are mostly more light-hearted than gut-wrenching. Chances are, you'll relate. 3.5 Stars

The author tells of her years growing up with her younger sister, who was diagnosed back in the '60s with "emotional disturbance" and sent to a couple of daunting institutions for treatment and training, but in recent years was given the diagnosis of autism. It's an interesting account of how such problems were dealt with in earlier years, her parents' desperate attempts to help, and her own experience as the "normal one" in the family. 3.5 Stars

For those who are curious about or committed to biomedical interventions for kids on the autism spectrum, this book will serve as a sympathetic, accessible guide to the research behind it, the rationales for it, and the routines parents must adapt to make it work. Some parents will be empowered by the ability to take their children's health into their own hands -- but readers with other theories about autism may be horrified instead. 3.5 Stars

If you saw the Lifetime TV movie of the same name from a few years back, starring a pre-High School Musical Zac Efron as an autistic runner and Mary-Louise Parker as his mom, you know the basic outlines of the story told in this book. As is usually the case with real life, though, the full story is more complex and messy than the made-for-TV version. You'll find plenty of inspiration in it all the same, though, and maybe all the more. 3.5 Stars

Some parents read books about miracle cures or stoic acceptance for inspiration, but for parents of older kids with special needs, who are finally facing the future, a book like this might fill the bill. While it does offer instruction and advice, it's mostly the story of a kid who, against the odds, went to college and did just fine. 3.5 Stars

When Savarese and his wife set out first to help a mother and her child stay together, and then to bring that child into their life as their adopted son, they had no idea what traumatic life experiences lay hidden by the boy's autistic silence. Facilitated Communication techniques help young DJ come to terms with his past in a tale full of tragedy and triumph, often tied tightly together. 3.5 Stars