Recently Published Books On Autism Treatments
A Guide to Some of the Latest Books Published on Autism Therapies
Feb 27, 2009
Books that deal with autism fall into several different categories. There are books written as memoirs from a parent's perspective. There are books written by people with autism themselves trying to explain their experiences. On the other hand, there are books by doctors, psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, teachers and other professionals that deal with autism on a daily basis. Some books will favor one therapy over another, while others are guides that summarize many different therapies and approaches. Following is a guide to some of the most recently published books grouped by type of treatment.
The Biomedical Approach
The treatments based on this approach are followed by all the doctors that have attended DAN (Defeat Autism Now) conferences and have become certified. Many have written books explaining in lay terms what these treatments consist of and the science behind them. One of these books is scheduled to be released at the end of March and is titled Healing and Preventing Autism: A Complete Guide [Dutton, 2009]. This book is a collaboration between a mother of a child with autism, Jenny McCarthy, and a DAN doctor, Dr. Jerry Kartzinel, M. D. whose son also has autism.
Hope for the Autism Spectrum: A Mother and Son Journey of Insight and Biomedical Intervention [ Kingsley, 2008] by Sally Kirk. This book is written by a mother and explains in simple terms what biomedical intervention is and how it helped her son.
The Brain Balance Program
Disconnected Kids: The Groundbreaking Brain Balance Program for Children with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia and Other Neurological Disorders by Dr. Robert Melillo [ Perigree, 2009]. Dr. Melillo is a chiropractic neurologist with many years of experience using, what he refers to as, brain balancing. Basically, he believes that the left and right sides of the brains of people with autism are disconnected and this is what causes many of the observed neurological problems. His brain balance program can also be used to treat other conditions like dyslexia and ADHD.
The Rapid Prompting Method
Understanding Autism through Rapid Prompting Method [ Outskirts, 2008] by Soma Mukhopadhyay. Mrs. Mukhopadyay is the mother of Tito Rajarshi, a gifted writer himself, who, although unable to speak, has written a few books on autism, in addition to short stories and poems. The rapid prompting method is a teaching strategy developed by Soma in an effort to teach her son. This teaching method has been very effective for her and is based on sensory integration.
Behavior Therapy
Sense and Nonsense in the Behavioral Treatment of Autism: It had to be Said [ DRL, 2008] by Dr. Ron Leaf. This is the second book written by Dr. Ron Leaf, a certified behavior analyst who took part in the research program on behavior therapy and autism with the famous Dr. Lovaas. Dr. Leaf's first book A Work in Progress [DRL, 1999] offers a detailed curricula of different behavior therapy programs that can be used to teach diverse social, language and academic skills.
In his new book Dr. Leaf begins by explaining the origins of behavior analysis and what it is and isn't. The book also compares behavior therapy to other alternative treatments and cautions parents about following other methods that have not yet been proven effective through empirical data and testing.
Parents of children with autism face many difficult decisions. What type of treatments and therapies to follow is definitely a tough decision. Each child with autism is unique and many times what works for one child will not be effective for another. Parents must arm themselves with as much knowledge as possible to be able to decide which is the correct path to follow for their own special child.
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