American Academy of Pediatrics - Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Every Parent Needs to Know

Available From the American Academy of Pediatrics

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Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5*

Caring for Your School-Age Child: Ages 512

Dad to Dad: Parenting Like a Pro

Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed With Insight, Humor, and a Bottle of Ketchup

Guide to Toilet Training

Heading Home With Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality

Mama Doc Medicine: Finding Calm and Confidence in Parenting, Child Health, and Work-Life Balance

My Child Is Sick! Expert Advice for Managing Common Illnesses and Injuries

Nutrition: What Every Parent Needs to Know

Parenting Through Puberty: Mood Swings, Acne, and Growing Pains

The Picky Eater Project: 6 Weeks to Happier, Healthier Family Mealtimes

Raising an Organized Child: 5 Steps to Boost Independence, Ease Frustration, and Promote Confidence

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Retro Baby: Cut Back on All the Gear and Boost Your Babys Development With More Than 100 Time-tested Activities

Retro Toddler: More Than 100 Old-School Activities to Boost Development

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Waking Up Dry: A Guide to Help Children Overcome Bedwetting

Your Babys First Year*

For additional parenting resources, visit the HealthyChildren bookstore at https://shop.aap.org/for-parents.

*This book is also available in Spanish.

American Academy of Pediatrics Publishing Staff

Mary Lou White, Chief Product and Services Officer/SVP, Membership, Marketing, and Publishing

Mark Grimes, Vice President, Publishing

Kathryn Sparks, Manager, Consumer Publishing

Shannan Martin, Production Manager, Consumer Publications

Amanda Helmholz, Medical Copy Editor

Peg Mulcahy, Manager, Art Direction and Production

Sara Hoerdeman, Marketing Manager, Consumer Products

Published by the American Academy of Pediatrics

345 Park Blvd

Itasca, IL 60143

Telephone: 630/626-6000

Facsimile: 847/434-8000

www.aap.org

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists, and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety, and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.

The information contained in this publication should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

Statements and opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Products, Web sites, and brand names, including manufacturers and products, are mentioned for informational and identification purposes only and do not imply an endorsement of them by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP is not responsible for the content of external resources. Information was current at the time of publication.

The persons whose photographs are depicted in this publication are professional models. They have no relation to the issues discussed. Any characters they are portraying are fictional.

The publishers have made every effort to trace the copyright holders for borrowed materials. If they have inadvertently overlooked any, they will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity.

This publication has been developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The contributors are expert authorities in the field of pediatrics. No commercial involvement of any kind has been solicited or accepted in development of the content of this publication. Disclosures: The editors report no disclosures.

Every effort is made to keep Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Every Parent Needs to Know consistent with the most recent advice and information available from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Special discounts are available for bulk purchases of this publication. E-mail Special Sales at for more information.

2019 American Academy of Pediatrics

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout prior permission from the publisher (locate title at ).

Printed in the United States of America

9-4111 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

CB0111

ISBN: 978-1-61002-269-9

eBook: 978-1-61002-270-5

EPUB: 978-1-61002-271-2

Kindle: 978-1-61002-272-9

PDF: 978-1-61002-273-6

Cover design by Daniel Rembert

Cover photograph by ESB Professional/Shutterstock.com

Book design by Peg Mulcahy

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018943108

What People Are Saying About the First Edition

Parents are craving knowledge and understanding of autism spectrum disorder and this guide is a wonderful resource to build that knowledge and encourage parents to advocate so that their child lives in a world where the dignity of every person is cherished, respected, and empowered.

Timothy P. Shriver, PhD

Chairman of the Board, Special Olympics

Covers a wide range of topics in a straightforward, commonsense manner, such as diagnosis, different behavioral therapies, family stress issues, and lots of other vital information. Essential reading for parents of young children with autism.

Temple Grandin

Author, Thinking in Pictures: My Life With Autism

Outstanding book and a tremendous resource for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. It is also a must-read for anyone else working to help children with autism reach their full potential. The AAP and the books editors, pediatricians Drs Alan Rosenblatt and Paul Carbone (who also happens to be the parent of a child with autism), know what theyre talking about!

Richard E. Besser, MD, FAAP

Former Chief Health and Medical Editor, ABC News

Parents looking for a resource after an autism diagnosis will pull Autism Spectrum Disorders: What Every Parent Needs to Know off the shelf with great frequency. The AAP and Drs Carbone and Rosenblatt cover complex issues in an accessible manner. I will recommend this resource to families in need of quality information regarding services and supports for their children with autism.

Patricia Wright, PhD, MPH

National Director, Autism Services, Easter Seals

Autism Spectrum Disorders: What Every Parent Needs to Know is a must-read for every parent with a child on the autism spectrum. How you as a parent can help your child through play, language encouragement, structure, planning and partnering with professionals is outlined at each developmental stage from infancy through adulthood. Chapters on family relationships, your relationship with your pediatrician, and ways that you can become involved as an advocate, for both your own child and for systems change, guide and encourage. Stories from multiple families, told in their own words, describe personal experiences and coping strategies that provide hope and comfort throughout the book. Get this bookits a complete gem!