Raising Children with Asperger's Syndrome and High-functioning Autism: Championing the Individual

If you have a child with Asperger's syndrome (AS) or high-functioning autism, conventional parenting principles will often prove insufficient and unproductive. This intelligent companion has all the answers, explanations and advice to enable parents to feel confident in providing effective support for their child with AS or high-functioning autism. The author explains how to help develop social and communication skills, clarifies the type of assistance needed from outside the family (and where to find it), and includes suggestions on how to ensure that the needs of other siblings are also met. Written from the insightful perspective of a child psychiatrist, this very practical book will provide concrete help for parents and carers. The experience and expertise shared will also be useful for all professionals working with children with AS or high-functioning autism and their families.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Lorna Wing. Introduction. 1. What is Autism? I. “Disability” – or “Individuality”? II. The Autism Spectrum. III. Other Medical Information. IV. Disorders Similar to or Comorbid with ASDs. 2. Rethinking Your Parenting Style. I. Nurturing Communication Skills. II. How to Provide Supports for Impairments of Social Imagination. III. Skills That Compensate for Impaired Socialization. IV. Helping Daily Life Run Smoothly (12 Q & A). 3. The Way Forward. I. Find Someone You Can Consult. II. If There Are Siblings. III. Some Final Advice. Afterword. Appendix 1. Overview of Technical Terminology and Diagnostic Criteria. Appendix 2. Communicating with Your Child's Kindergarten or Day Care Centre. A Handy Reference to the Supports Described in This Book. Bibliography.

About the Author :
Yuko Yoshida M.D. is a child psychiatrist at the Yokohama Psycho-Developmental Clinic in Japan, which specializes in diagnosing and treating children with autism spectrum and other developmental disorders. She is also Managing Director of the Institute of Psychomedical Education for Children. She has over 25 years' clinical experience and has taken training courses taught by Lorna Wing and Judith Gould, and she is one of only a handful of professionals in Japan certified to use the Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO). She is the author of How To Be Yourself in a World That's Different: An Asperger Syndrome Guide for Adolescents, also published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Review :
Targeting the parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum (AS) and high-functioning autism, Yoshida (How To Be Yourself in a World That's Different: An Asperger Syndrome Guide for Adolescents) has developed a caring and compassionate guide for parents new to autism spectrum disorders (ASD).... An extremely valuable Q&A section titled "Helping Daily Life Run Smoothly" provides answers to some of the most common questions parents have about their newly diagnosed child.... Yoshida's calm, kind tone will be comforting to parents of children recently diagnosed with ASD.... A valuable addition to any autism collection. “Throughout this book, the author's aim is to write in a way that parents of children with autistic conditions can understand and she succeeds brilliantly. [...] A beautifully clear and simple, but detailed translation that parents of children with autistic conditions will find enormously helpful and comforting.” Yuko Yoshida's book was developed for parents in Japan to assist them in understanding children with autistic spectrum conditions particularly in relation to young children (infancy to early elementary) who are described to have high-functioning autism (HFA) or Asperger's Syndrome. The book was also developed to support teachers in a range of educational settings where the author was aiming to provide a range of useful ideas and strategies... Yuko has a lovely gentle but practical approach to a difficult area where she is obviously determined to empower parents... Yuko provides a clear and simple introduction to the world of developmental difficulties, the screening process and labelling...interesting and realistic examples of children's behaviour to assist in understanding the autistic spectrum; she provides a lot of detail and insight into the triad of impairments and other significant issues but highlights the importance of quality of life rather than high IQ. In addition, several other developmental disorders and medical issues are summarised.... She emphasizes the importance of: understanding autism and early intervention; planning long term goals; and the issue that each child is different... This style of presentation is powerful and again very useful detail and guidance for parents and professionals in developing further understanding about autism is provided... This is a useful book for both trainee Educational Psychologists and Educational Psychologists in supporting them to develop further understanding about the autistic spectrum in addition to providing a useful resource to discuss with parents. Insights into the way a different culture understand autism and child development are also very insightful.