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Parenting Girls on the Autism Spectrum: Overcoming the Challenges and Celebrating the Gifts
This book is a celebration of all the wonderful and unexpected gifts that having a daughter on the autism spectrum can bring to a family. Each chapter offers encouragement and guidance on issues such as school, friendships, meltdowns, special gifts, family relationships, therapies and interventions. Having daughters on the spectrum presents unique and rewarding challenges and this book is packed with friendly advice and real life examples from a mother who has experienced it all first hand. This positive, upbeat book is guaranteed to offer support to parents, grandparents and family members, as well as providing educators and anyone else working in a supporting role with an insight into what life is like for girls on the spectrum and their parents.
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2012
About the author
Eileen Riley-Hall
4 books2 followersEileen Riley Hall is the mother of two amazing girls on the autism spectrum. She is also an English teacher at a large public school in upstate New York.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 23, 2017
This book was pretty disappointing because it was packed with too many anecdotes about the author and the book as a whole was unfocused (did we really need that whole chapter on the debate over the what causes autism?) I got lots of stories about her experiences parenting *her* daughters, but little in the way of the how to help guide autistic girls through the unique challenges they face.
I think that in the future, I’ll stick to books/articles written by actually autistic folks.
I think that in the future, I’ll stick to books/articles written by actually autistic folks.
January 14, 2022
Some great tips, statistics and certainly made me feel less alone. Very helpful read and guide.
I did feel it may be a little outdated now and would love to read something more recent.
I did feel it may be a little outdated now and would love to read something more recent.
September 27, 2021
It was decent book and I appreciated the focus on girls. It was more memoir than science. It would have been nice if there was less focus on the authours girls. It included information about milestones like potty training but not menstration or birth control.
She's quite negative about psychiatric medications because 2 drugs didn't work for her kids. Nothing about the data behind meds for pther kids.
It was also very heteronormative and traditional in it's expectations of girls. There's a whole antecdote about insisting that *toddlers* wear clothes at home and the need to teach modesty. She took her own issues about nudity and blamed autism for a normal childhood phase.
It includes rescources for the US and UK but not Australia or New Zealand.
She's quite negative about psychiatric medications because 2 drugs didn't work for her kids. Nothing about the data behind meds for pther kids.
It was also very heteronormative and traditional in it's expectations of girls. There's a whole antecdote about insisting that *toddlers* wear clothes at home and the need to teach modesty. She took her own issues about nudity and blamed autism for a normal childhood phase.
It includes rescources for the US and UK but not Australia or New Zealand.
July 31, 2021
This was a fine first book to read after beginning the process of having our daughter evaluated for autism. I have been too overwhelmed to read anything too deep in scientific theory, so this book served me very well as an entry point.
It was written nearly 10 years ago so some portions felt dated (references to Asperger’s, giving oxygen to the vaccine debate particularly. There was also a passage strongly encouraging you to work hard at maintaining your daughter’s appearance in a way that allows her to fit in.. I think we have come a long way in the last decade on the subject of “fitting in.”)
That said, her authentic narrative served as the voice of a friend who has been there. She offered comfort and affirmation for me when I was trying to get my head around a potential diagnosis. Now I’m ready to move on to more current and relevant info, written by experts. All in all, the is book didn’t really arm me with new info, but it also wasn’t a waste of my time.
It was written nearly 10 years ago so some portions felt dated (references to Asperger’s, giving oxygen to the vaccine debate particularly. There was also a passage strongly encouraging you to work hard at maintaining your daughter’s appearance in a way that allows her to fit in.. I think we have come a long way in the last decade on the subject of “fitting in.”)
That said, her authentic narrative served as the voice of a friend who has been there. She offered comfort and affirmation for me when I was trying to get my head around a potential diagnosis. Now I’m ready to move on to more current and relevant info, written by experts. All in all, the is book didn’t really arm me with new info, but it also wasn’t a waste of my time.
April 7, 2014
Not really much here for those of us with older girls who have been diagnosed from an early age. Helpful for parents of the newly diagnosed.
August 26, 2022
I was very inspired by this author as I read chapter after chapter of her life experiences raising 2 special children. I don't know how old her girls are at this time, but I wish them all the best. Her book gave me a starter framework to review myself as a parent and how I can indeed do better. I like the words she penned of a pastor responding to the artless expression of worship by one of her girls, when he said, "She is perfect. God made her perfect. Never apologize for her. Don't look at her through the world's eyes. Always look at her through God's eyes." It lifts my spirits and gives me hope! Thank you for this special testimony of this parenting chapter of your life. I wished I had chanced on the book earlier in my parenthood journey.
April 15, 2021
This is a great book if you have a younger aged girl who has recently been diagnosed. Not great if you have a teen girl who’s recently been diagnosed though
December 3, 2022
I was impressed by Eileen’s strength of character and lack of shame as she advocates for her daughters. This can be hard for a parent with an autistic child so I commend her for that.
August 29, 2012
"Parenting Girls on the Autism Spectrum" is an informative book which offers advice from a parent perspective. It touches on a wide breadth of topics, such as Education, Siblings and Autism Truths/Myths. What is particularly helpful about this book is that it addresses specific areas of concern for girls. It also discusses more challenging parenting topics such as what to do during a meltdown and the range of emotions parents often feel soon after their child is diagnosed.
This book is a wonderful resource for parents of newly diagnosed children in that it really covers so many areas of concern. And given that there is so much information about boys with autism and so little information with regards to girls and autism, it provides readers with a fresh and very much needed discussion.
It should be noted that the author leans toward traditional approaches/websites/causes of diagnosis rather than biomedical approaches/causes. I feel that I should state that up front given that some parents feel strongly one way or another regarding this topic. If you are part of the autism community, you are aware that there is often controversy regarding cause, treatment, etc. That said, I feel as though the author does a good job of focusing on information rather than inciting one particular perspective.
As a fellow parent and writer, I very much appreciate that the author has a positive outlook on prognosis and life raising an autistic child. I get that raising our children can be difficult to do at times, but as our children grow older, it is so important that we embrace acceptance. Not saying it always comes easy, but our autistic children grow into autistic adults, and they often take offense to the constant barrage of negative comments regarding autism, rightly so. So celebrating our children's gifts is every bit as important as the work we put into helping them.
Parents of newly diagnosed children should find information and hope within the pages of this book. One of my favorite, and I feel most poignant quotes from the book, is the following: "A person with autism is still a whole person, just one who can't as easily express all of who she is or, at times, understand what you are saying or feeling. While you and your daughter may struggle with autism, she is still perfectly complete and full of potential."
Best wishes to the author and thank you for providing another helpful resource for parents and their daughters.
This book is a wonderful resource for parents of newly diagnosed children in that it really covers so many areas of concern. And given that there is so much information about boys with autism and so little information with regards to girls and autism, it provides readers with a fresh and very much needed discussion.
It should be noted that the author leans toward traditional approaches/websites/causes of diagnosis rather than biomedical approaches/causes. I feel that I should state that up front given that some parents feel strongly one way or another regarding this topic. If you are part of the autism community, you are aware that there is often controversy regarding cause, treatment, etc. That said, I feel as though the author does a good job of focusing on information rather than inciting one particular perspective.
As a fellow parent and writer, I very much appreciate that the author has a positive outlook on prognosis and life raising an autistic child. I get that raising our children can be difficult to do at times, but as our children grow older, it is so important that we embrace acceptance. Not saying it always comes easy, but our autistic children grow into autistic adults, and they often take offense to the constant barrage of negative comments regarding autism, rightly so. So celebrating our children's gifts is every bit as important as the work we put into helping them.
Parents of newly diagnosed children should find information and hope within the pages of this book. One of my favorite, and I feel most poignant quotes from the book, is the following: "A person with autism is still a whole person, just one who can't as easily express all of who she is or, at times, understand what you are saying or feeling. While you and your daughter may struggle with autism, she is still perfectly complete and full of potential."
Best wishes to the author and thank you for providing another helpful resource for parents and their daughters.
May 23, 2015
Useful for parents of girls newly diagnosed, but it shouldn't be looked over by experienced parents as well. I felt like I was commisserating with someone who truly knew what my life was like while reading it, and we all need that empathy.
April 25, 2014
love that this give positive outlook when there is so much information on this topic. I have found so many good ideas and nice to read it from another parent experiencing this .
June 29, 2016
Packed with vital information
October 29, 2012
Loved to hear another Spectrum parent perspective.
June 30, 2013
good basic book
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews