The Autism Book: What Every Parent Needs to Know About Early Detection, Treatment, Recovery, and Prevention (Sears Parenting Library)

Balanced and full of straight up wisdom. Thankful to have found this and will be sharing with others on the journey.

I'm writing this review because the previous reviews don't clearly explain what this book is about.The "Autism Book" basically focuses on the Bio-medical approach for treating autism. This approach is somewhat controversial in the broader medical community because many of the treatments have not been scientifically validated by long-term medical studies, which may take decades to achieve. Sears acknowledges this openly but correctly states that many parents are desparate for treatment options NOW, NOT 20 years from now. The problem, of course, is that some or even many of the treatments described in this book may not be effective. Or if there truly is such a thing as multiple autisms, then perhaps some of these treatments will only be effective for a subset of cases.Having said that, this book has a wealth of information- most of which I wasn't aware of. But there are also some controversial treatments like chelation, which may do more harm than good.For me, the most useful info in this book came in the afterword, where Sears guesstimates that only 5% of children who are treated for autism will fully recover; and another 25% will be nearly normal. He goes on to say another 30% will improve markedly but will still have mild autism; another 20% will improve but will still have moderate autism; and the remaining 20% will not respond at all to treatment. This is both hopeful and depressing news, if these statistics are accurate. (I have looked for but never seen any other statistics for recovery rates. I have also looked for what % of the 1 in 100 children who are diagnosed with autism have severe autism- it seems that there's much that is really not known about autism even by the so-called "experts".)For those looking for conventional treatments, I'd highly recommend the "Verbal Behaviour Approach" by ML Barbera, which is about ABA therapy.

after reading several of the dr sears books, ie baby book, preganacy book, sleep book, etc. this is the best more thorough and most practically useful on a specific topic. goes way in depth on every aspect of ASD from curiousity and doubts to diganosis to support to how to deal with schools and insurance and support groups and other family members and friends asking about autism. i would say take it one page at a time. its a lot of reading and hard to swallow it in one chunk. use a highlighter and paper clips and read a little bnit at a time. you can definitely read it a little bit then put it down for a few weeks then come back to it. it is useful information with charts and to do lists and very good. i especially like the checklists on what to ask a neurologist or geneticist or even a pediatrician when they are evaluating a child for autism. . .

I am an avid reader of all things Dr. Sears. I particularly loved The Baby Book and The Vaccine Book. These books gave me confidence in my abilities as a mother. I was very excited to read The Autism Book, as I had recently found out my 3 year old was diagnosed with Autism.I am not a fan of this book.This book is very successful in explaining the many factors that may contribute to an Autism Diagnosis. There is more than likely no singular reason, but a combination of genetic and environmental factors. I appreciated this part of the book.The part I found most dangerous was the lengths at which the author recommended parents go to "treat" Autism. Instead of reading mountains of books written by parents and doctors, none of which being Autistic; I recommend reading material written by Autistic adults, such as the book The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism. Better yet, start researching Temple Grandin or blogs and facebook pages written by Autistic adults. I have found these resources to be invaluable in helping raise and nurture my son. I'm not on a quest for a holy grail; I am looking for tools to help him become the person he was meant to be.This book has the vibe of "cancer patient exhausting all avenues and treatments in search of a cure." I don't think any Autistic person would appreciate this approach. Don't waste your time on this book. You could be reading something else, learning how to maximze your child's skills and abilities; helping them enjoy and live their lives to the fullest.

"The Autism Book" is clear and well-organized. If you are just starting the journey of autism treatment, this is an essential companion. If you have been on this road awhile, it does a great job of tying everything together and you may find some new suggestions. Dr. Bob is an intelligent, level-headed person who really cares about kids. The book is like having a conversation with him. For parents new to this journey - have hope, because hope is justified. I believe the best way to treat autism is the 2-pronged approach of therapy and the biomedical approach outlined by Dr. Bob.

He has changed the course of our son's life with the biomedical interventions he has recommended. This is a must for every parent with a child on the spectrum. If you have a friend with a recently diagnosed child...give them the gift of this book. In a world where most mainstream doctors don't get what can be done for a child on the spectrum to help recover them and improve their functioning and health...Dr Sears is who you should look to for direction.

I have over 50 books on autism (I am sad to say!). This is a really well written first book for parents who have children newly diagnosed. This book provides a great overview of current research based thoughts regarding causes and treatments for autism. After reading this book, I recommend that you go to the ARI website [...] and watch Defeat Autism Now! presentations on the various treatments presented in the book.

This is a very interesting book. It is insightful and well written. Robert Sears is very knowledgeable on the subject of Autism. I recommend it to parents who have autistic children.