Both a practical guide and a real world story, Early Signs of Autism tells the story how Leslie Burby discovered two of her children were autistic. In the book, Leslie shares how her life as special educator helped her to discover the symptoms in two of her children leading them to be diagnosed early. The book covers DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual ) versions IV and V.
Along with practical guidelines how parents can identify early signs in babies, toddlers and infants, the book also includes important developmental milestones in motor skills, speech and language. It discusses sensory issues and comborbid conditions that also accompany autism.
The book concludes with practical steps on how to get a formal diagnosis, the steps to take for early intervention and a range of treatments available for your child.
As the number of children diagnosed with Autism rises to 1 in 50, parents need to be aware of the early signs in order to act early and get their children the help they need. Acting early with Autism is essential because the the wiring of the brain is developing at a rapid rate when children are young. The faster you act the faster you can help make those connections that can occur before the plasticity of the brain starts to slow down making it harder to adjust behaviors.
In writing this book, Leslie brings with her extensive knowledge in the field of Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. She is currently enjoying her role as Editor of Autism Parenting Magazine as well as performing speaking engagements on Autism.
Readers of this book are also entitled to free issue of Autism Parenting Magazine.
The author is the mother of two children on the Autism spectrum and the Editor of Autism Parenting Magazine. She wrote this book to share her experiences and enlighten the public about identifying the signs of Autism in young children, a condition that is widely misunderstood. Burby endeavors to help parents understand what the signs are, how diagnosis criteria have changed, what sensory conditions may accompany Autism, how to get a diagnosis and who to contact as well as ancillary medical conditions and treatment possibilities.
I worked in this field for many years as a special educator and know first hand how Autism affects every child differently, how much conflicting information is out there, and how confusing the myriad symptoms and treatment options appear. The author systematically breaks down the old and new ways of identification and the five common types of Autism. She outlines the early signs and possible accompanying behaviors. Burby presents parents with a guideline of developmental milestones to look for in the areas of cognition, speech, social, adaptive, gross and fine motor skills. The section on sensory issues explains the differences between hypo and hyper sensitivity and indicates the behaviors that might accompany each. She also suggests ways to soothe children from her own personal experiences. Autism generally comes with a host of other medical conditions. Leslie outlines them: obsessive compulsive disorder, attention deficit disorder and Fragile X Syndrome are just a few.
Most importantly, the author insists that parents not ignore the problem or allow pediatricians to suggest that they wait. She summarizes many of the popular early intervention strategies for cognitive, motor, speech and sensory issues. Even more valuable is the section which gives contact information country by country. Burby gives answers to frequently asked questions and offers a free copy of Autism magazine as well as sharing her personal contacts and reference sources.
This is a book that every parent, health clinician and educator should have in their library. Our children are counting on us.
I am the mother of an ASD teen and we suspect the toddler is also on the spectrum. I wish I had this book when the teen was a baby. It really provides down to earth information about autism symptoms, resources and advice. it does not and should not, take the place of medical advice, but this book creates a conversation starter so you and your doctor can get your child needed resources.