Friday, August 18, 2017

Book Review: Understanding Autism for Dummies

Understanding Autism for Dummies, by Stephen Shore and Linda Rastelli, is one of those yellow subject-based "For Dummies" books that I silently promised myself never to pick up when I was younger.  I always found the branding rather insulting, regardless of how little I knew about a subject.

So naturally now you're likely wondering why on Earth I broke this promise to myself.  Well... the first author is the reason.  Stephen Shore is an author I've run into briefly on my adventure through autism literature, and I've never read one of his specific works.  However, even the brief exposure I've had to his philosophy and work has impressed me.  So when this book came up on a search of my library, I reluctantly checked it out.

Upon actually opening the book, I was promptly flabbergasted by the first page, which was a two-sided mini-reference page.  There was lots of good info on there in little boxes, but I was most grabbed by the "Emergency ID card" for autism.  The print was maybe a little small to be handing to an upset police officer, but it did have a space for emergency contact numbers. Also important information about autism, like common behaviors.  "I may: have difficulty speaking, appear deaf, not understand legal issues." And suggested things to do, like "speaking slowly and softly," "giving me time to respond," and "warning me first if you must touch me." 

I'm not sure how I feel about carrying a card identifying me as autistic, but of course, I'm not who the card was designed for.  Usually in emergencies, I can still communicate in words.  This book is meant to be a comprehensive reference for the entire autism spectrum, despite being co-authored by a relatively well-blended ("high-functioning") autistic person.

Once I got past the first page and got to the table of contents, I was struck by the fact that this book is over 10 years old, but had a lot of "thinking about the future" sections.  Important things like "how to transition from high school to jobs," "how to make friends after school is over," and "options for financial planning."  In reading through those sections much later, I was pleased to see advice for both the autistic person, and for parents and guardians.

I was also pleasantly surprised to find a subsection on sexual relationships and sex education.  It was fairly short, but had some solid suggestions, and included a brief commentary on sensory issues.  At some point I'll be less reserved about my personal sex life, but suffice it to say that sensory issues do not politely go away just because you're trying to be intimate with someone.

Relatedly, I was also pleased to see the book strongly suggest sex education for all individuals on the autism spectrum, not just the ones likely to find a partner.  The authors adamantly proclaim that almost all autistic individuals, no matter how well they blend into society, have a sex drive.  So you need to teach appropriate behavior to deal with that, and sooner rather than later.

In addition to these things, of course, the book also covers the "what is autism," "getting a diagnosis," "how to choose treatments and therapies," and "how to work with schools to get appropriate education."  Each of those is a wide subject, and each chapter has a few books listed as recommended reading.  I was reasonably impressed with the section on working with schools, which included best practices for IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meetings.  I've attended several informational meetings regarding how best to make and IEP and communicate with the schools, and it pleased me to see much of that advice here.

The book is still ten years old, naturally, so its explanation of autism and understanding of the special diet aspect of improving symptoms is minimal.  But it does bother to have a section for that treatment at all, which makes it ahead of its time in some ways.  Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the list of resources at the back of the book.  About half the resources in the sections I looked into were no longer operational, missing, or had been moved.  That's maybe not surprising, given how things change.

Read This Book If

You are relatively new to the autism world and need a general overview on everything.  Whether you're an individual on the autism spectrum, a parent with an autistic kid of any age, or an interested professional of any stripe, this book does serve as a pretty effective across-the-board reference.  After attending conferences, advocating, and reading dozens of books, I personally didn't find a whole lot of new information to learn.  But it's the most comprehensive "guide to autism" I've run across to date. 

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