Dawson Geraldine - A parents guide to high-functioning autism spectrum disorder: how to meet the challenges and help your child thrive

FOR GENERAL READERS

An Early Start for Your Child with Autism: Using Everyday Activities to Help Kids Connect, Communicate, and Learn

Sally J. Rogers, Geraldine Dawson, and Laurie A. Vismara

FOR PROFESSIONALS

Asperger Syndrome: Assessing and Treating High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders, Second Edition

Edited by James C. McPartland, Ami Klin, and Fred R. Volkmar

Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Edited by Sam Goldstein, Jack A. Naglieri, and Sally Ozonoff

Early Start Denver Model for Young Children with Autism: Promoting Language, Learning, and Engagement

Sally J. Rogers and Geraldine Dawson

THE GUILFORD PRESS
New York London

Epub Edition ISBN: 9781462518692; Kindle Edition ISBN: 9781462518708

2015 The Guilford Press

A Division of Guilford Publications, Inc.

72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012

www.guilford.com

All rights reserved

The information in this volume is not intended as a substitute for consultation with healthcare professionals. Each individuals health concerns should be evaluated by a qualified professional.

No part of this book may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

Last digit is print number: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ozonoff, Sally.

[A parents guide to Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism.]

A parents guide to high-functioning autism spectrum disorder : how to meet the challenges and help your child thrive / Sally Ozonoff, Geraldine Dawson, James C. McPartland. Second edition.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4625-1747-3 (paperback) ISBN 978-1-4625-1795-4 (hardcover)

1. Aspergers syndromePopular works. 2. Autism spectrum disordersPopular works. 3. Parents of autistic children. I. Dawson, Geraldine. II. McPartland, James C. III. Title.

RJ506.A9O98 2015

618.92858832dc23

2014026326

To Martha and Doug, who have given me a new window on parents experiences

S. O.

To my husband, Joseph, and daughter, Margaret

G. D.

To my parents and greatest mentors, Rosemary and Jim McPartland

J. C. M.

Part I

Part II

The writing of this book would not have been possible without the parents and children who shared their stories, pain, hopes, and triumphs with me. I have learned far more from them than I have been able to give back. Thank you for letting me be a part of your lives at your bleakest moments and at your times of joy. I have learned so much from my mentors, Bruce Pennington, who taught me the science of autism; Sally Rogers, who taught me the art of autism; and Gary Mesibov, who immersed me in the culture of autism. Kitty Moore and Christine Benton of The Guilford Press helped greatly in the writing of this book and often knew what I wanted to say better than I did. I also thank my father, who instilled in me a love of writing and editing; my mother and my husband, who provide support and encouragement every day; my daughters, Grace and Claire, who have grown up alongside autism spectrum disorder and become experts themselves; and Jesse, who has taught us all about autism in the family and what it is really like.

S. O.

I wish to gratefully acknowledge all I have learned from the children and adults with autism spectrum disorder and their families. Their experiences, feedback, and creative ideas have greatly influenced my thinking and practice over the years, and their perseverance, passion, and resilience are a constant source of inspiration for me. My colleagues and students at the University of Washington Autism Center were also instrumental in the writing of the first edition of this book, especially Felice Orlich, Kimberly Ryan, and Cathy Brock. I have very much enjoyed working with the staff at The Guilford Press, especially Seymour Weingarten, Kitty Moore, and Christine Benton; this book has very much benefited from their guidance and expertise. Finally, I wish to express heartfelt appreciation for the unwavering love and support I receive from my husband, Joseph, and my children, Chris and Maggie. Without their support, my work would not be possible.

G. D.

I feel fortunate to have interacted with so many devoted parents and wonderful people with autism spectrum disorder. My contributions to this text represent the synthesis of the lessons I have learned from you, and I thank you for working with me. It has been enjoyable to collaborate with my coauthors on this project, as well as the staff at The Guilford Press. I am grateful to those who have taught me about autism, most notably Geraldine Dawson, Felice Orlich, Julie Osterling, Ami Klin, and Fred Volkmar. The support of the team at the Yale Developmental Disabilities Clinic and the McPartland lab, especially Rachael Tillman and Emily Levy, has been crucial to this book. Thank you to my family, Tara, Norah, and Aggie, for believing in me and my work.

J. C. M.

To protect the privacy of the families we have worked with over the years, the children and parents depicted in this book for illustrative purposes are either composites of those we have worked with and represent typical situations, challenges, and solutions, or thoroughly disguised individuals.

For ease of reading, we have alternated between masculine and feminine pronouns. Unless specifically noted otherwise, statements using singular personal pronouns apply to both boys and girls (or men and women).

This book is not intended to substitute for a qualified professional evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment. Throughout the book we offer advice for finding qualified clinicians, and the

Joseph had always seemed like a brilliant child. He began talking before his first birthday, much earlier than his older sister and brother. He expressed himself in an adult way and was always very polite. When his mother offered to buy him a treat at the movies, for example, Joseph said, No, thank you, M&Ms are not my preferred mode of snacking. He showed a very early interest in letters and by 18 months could recite the whole alphabet. He taught himself to read before his third birthday. Joseph wasnt much interested in typical toys, like balls and bicycles, preferring instead what his proud parents considered grown-up pursuits, like geography and science. Starting at age 2, he spent many hours lying on the living-room floor, looking at maps in the familys world atlas. By age 5, he could name anywhere in the world from a description of its geographical location (What is the northern-most coastal city in Brazil?). Just as his parents suspected, Joseph is brilliant. He also has autism spectrum disorder.

Nine-year-old Seth was playing video games in the family room while his mother bustled about the house cleaning up for the guests who would soon arrive. As she climbed a stepladder in the living room to change a light bulb, she lost her balance and fell backward. While she lay on the floor gasping for breath, Seth walked by on his way to the kitchen for a snack, stepped over her, and said Hi, Mom. Seth has autism spectrum disorder.