| | Issue #19.42 :: 05/14/2008 - 05/20/2008 | "Straight Talk on Autism"
By Travis Thompson
| BY J. EDWARD SUMERAU
|
"Dr. Thompson’s Straight Talk on Autism: The Expert Guide Parents Can Trust”
By Travis Thompson
AUGUSTA, GA - In his latest work in the study of autism, Dr. Travis Thompson has offered an expert guide to discussing, understanding, and living with the disorder that fills a dire need in the world today. Dispelling false tales, providing clinical expertise for many activities, and delivering inspirational as well as practical advice, Thompson’s “Straight Talk on Autism: The Expert Guide Parents Can Trust” is a well-crafted handbook for the parent, child and community facing the development of these special children.
Dr. Travis Thompson is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine. He has been active in the research, teaching, and clinical analysis of developmental disabilities for a number of years, and has published over 200 articles and chapters and 27 books. He has held numerous posts in the academic and medical world including Director of the John F. Kennedy Center on Human Development at Vanderbilt University.
In this well-crafted analysis and guide, Thompson offers a source of preparation and adjustment to families dealing with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Complete with illustrations of common activities and behaviors of children with the disorder the book unfolds as a step-by-step guide to raising a child.
He begins the work by dispelling many commonly believed myths about the disorder and giving a detailed discussion of the disorder itself. Beyond the expectable list of symptoms and classifications, Thompson offers an example of a child’s life in the form of Elliot’s story, and focuses the efforts of the parental concern on the need to control situations and environments for the comfort of the autistic child.
Thompson follows these first two introductory discussions with an explanation of time, and a call for patience on the part of parents, teachers, and other adults in contact with an autistic child. Throughout the work, patience is a key attribute that continues to appear in Thompson’s advice to parents and adults, and it is the element that allows them to ease the life of the child while encouraging his or her growth in the world socially, emotionally, and physically.
The next few segments outline in detail the necessities of the child’s life, and in so doing, highlight the importance of patience and perseverance within the family group. Thompson highlights the importance of language, self-esteem, social activity, responsible decisions, leisure time, and planning the activities of the child. In all these aspects, the need for planning and the necessity of patient responses are the hallmark to the development of the child, and in the process of outlining these features, Thompson draws attention to the ability of children with autism to achieve amazing levels of understanding, social ability, and even physical prowess when surrounded by proper guidance and support in a controlled setting.
Finally, Thompson focuses on the environments that are best for raising a child with special needs due to Autism Spectrum Disorder. He continues to drive home the need for planning and patience in the selection of domicile, neighborhood, and peer groups for the child, and points out that effective environments for development can be tremendous ingredients in the growth of children. Successful outings can be the result of the simple practice of consistent planning and preparation by the family group, and such success can reaffirm the trust and appreciation the child has for his or her parents.
In all these regards, the patience and planning of sincere parental guides can make all the difference in the life of a child with autism. The fact is that 100 pages would barely scratch the surface of this book, and its extensive fountain of information will serve well any family members, community members, or practitioners who come into contact with children who live with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Available nationwide and online, this is a guide book worthy of celebration in the homes of families working each day to help autistic children take the next step forward on the way to the best possible life.
Thompson Ph.D., Travis. “Dr. Thompson’s Straight Talk on Autism: The Expert Guide Parents Can Trust!” Baltimore, Maryland: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. 2008. 282pp. $24.95 Paper. ISBN: 9781557669452.
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