The following books on autism and related issues have been reviewed for the Harried Parent's Book Club. They are sorted by Guide Rating, with five stars being best.
1. The Child With Special Needs
Cover image courtesy of PriceGrabber
The cover promises "comprehensive approach to developmental challenges including autism, PDD, language and speech problems, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, ADD, and other related disorders," and that's a tall order. But this book more than fills it. Just about any child would benefit from the sort of intensive parenting play described here. 5 Stars
2. Dr. Thompson's Straight Talk on Autism
Cover image courtesy of Brookes Publishing Co.
If you're like me, you prefer your parenting books to be light on theory and heavy on practical advice for getting your child and yourself through the day. By that measure, this book's a clear winner. The author, a professor of the Autism Program at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine and the grandfather of a child with autism, gives good and readable instructions for teaching skills and handling behavior problems. It may not all work for you, but there are a lot of options to try. 5 Stars
3. Act Early Against Autism
Cover image courtesy of Jayne Lytel
Getting a diagnosis as early as possible, and taking advantage of interventions offered by state programs and school districts (and your own pocketbook, as far as it will stretch), is good advice for parents of children with special needs, whether they're dealing with autism or not. By sharing her own story and then distilling what worked into a strong informational text, author Jayne Lytel, founder of The Early Intervention Network, provides a useful how-to and what-not-to for parents just starting out. 4.5 Stars
4. An Anthropologist on Mars
Cover image courtesy of Random House
Sometimes, the books that have a meaningful impact on your parenting aren't parenting books at all. Sacks' essays, celebrating the way the brain works even when it works in unusual ways, can give you vital insights into your own paradoxical child. 4.5 Stars
5. Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism
Cover image courtesy of Bloomsbury USA
Collins is the father of a child with autism, but this isn't a standard diagnosis-struggle-triumph memoir. Interspersed with scenes of his son, Morgan, is the author's research on autistic figures from the past, especially an 18th-century "wild boy." It's a fascinating mix of relatability and research. 4.5 Stars
6. Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum
Image courtesy of PriceGrabber
If there's ever a time in a child's life when parents need a guidebook, it's adolescence. Even for neurotypical kids, the teen years are a maze of emotions and changes and challenges, but when your teen is on the autism spectrum, the degree of difficulty is boosted considerably. Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum offers a friendly, non-alarmist look at the extra issues teens with ASD bring to this challenging life phase. 4 Stars
7. Autism: Asserting Your Child's Right to a Special Education
Photo courtesy David A. Sherman
Regardless of whether your child has autism or another disability requiring special education, this useful handbook provides significant legal advice and information to help you take on the school district, or maybe avoid a confrontation altogether. Knowing your rights and options is a good start. 4 Stars
8. The Autism Encyclopedia
Cover image courtesy of Brookes Publishing Co.
It's somewhat more scholarly than parent-friendly, but this resource will be invaluable when you're trying to plow through autism texts that are more scholarly still. Keep it close at hand. 4 Stars
9. Elijah's Cup
Cover image courtesy of Simon & Schuster
Like many a special-needs mothering memoir before it, this is as much about the emotional journey of the parent as the developmental journey of the child, but it has a refreshing take on autism as something to be considered and celebrated rather than cured, and there are interesting characters to meet along the way. 4 Stars
