Koegel Lynn Kern - Overcoming autism: finding the answers, strategies, and hope that can transform a childs life

Acclaim for Overcoming Autism

An excellent guide that comes at a much needed time. There are few clinical resources out there for autism and PDD spectrum children and their families. Overcoming Autism fills this gap and provides solid information and a practical head start toward understanding childrens needs and managing their behavior effectively and to productive ends. I will be recommending it to student, colleagues, and parents.

Bruce J.Masek, Ph.D., ABPP, Clinical Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School

I just finished reading your book. I honestly believe it is the best and most practical book I have ever read in the area of autism. The content has great technical and scientific integrity, yet it is presented in friendly language in a straightforward, common sense kind of manner. I will be promoting the book in every talk and workshop I give in the coming months and years.

Glen Dunlap, Ph.D., Executive Director, Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, University of South Florida

Overcoming Autism is brilliant. It is written in a very different voice from anything else in the field, and is accessible in a way that we all wish our research could be. This is a real contribution, and you are to be commended. You have blended solid research, impressive writing, and a credible vision for families.

Rob Horner, Ph.D., professor of special education, University of Oregon

BRAVO! This book will be wonderful for our families. Thanks for a valuable contribution!

Joyce Mauk, M.D., developmental pediatrician

As a parent of a child with autism, I can certainly relate to Lynn and Claires statement that everything you do will make a difference. I found their book Overcoming Autism to be an invaluable guide to many of those everythings.

Joe Mantegna, actor

As someone who has always been an advocate for children, I highly recommend this book as an invaluable tool for families and professionals tackling the symptoms and stress of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Rob Reiner, film director

All children and adults with autism deserve a Koegel program, based on the brilliant child- and family-friendly work of Bob and Lynn Koegel. This book brings us closer to the day when they will have it. Coauthor LaZebnik may not be a mother tigress, but she is a mother-savant who has listened faithfully and successfully to her child and to her own instincts. This book is a gift.

Catherine Johnson, coauthor of Shadow Syndromes

I absolutely love this book. It is a MUCH needed source of info for parents!

mother of a child with autism

Thank you for writing this book. I have searched for years to find some resources to help me with my daughter who was diagnosed with PDD. My very favorite page is in your introduction where you tell parents to trust themselves. Most of all it gave me hope that with proper help my daughter can grow up and succeed at whatever she wants to.

father of a child with autism

PENGUIN BOOKS

OVERCOMING AUTISM

LYNN KERN KOEGEL is one of the worlds foremost experts on the treatment of autism. She and her husband founded the renowned Koegel Autism Center at the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she is currently the clinical director. She holds a Ph.D. in educational psychology and an M.A. in speech and hearing sciences. She lectures frequently at universities, conferences, and school and parent organizations. She has won numerous awards for her work on behalf of children with autism, including the first annual Sesame Street Award for Brightening the Lives of Children and the Autism Speaks Award for Excellence in Science. She has also appeared on numerous television shows, including Supernanny, where she worked with a child with autism, and on the Discovery Channel series Ingenious Minds, discussing the strengths of individuals with autism.

CLAIRE LAZEBNIK has written five novels for adults, including Same As It Never Was (which was made into the ABC Family movie Hello Sister, Goodbye Life), The Smart One and the Pretty One, and Families and Other Nonreturnable Gifts. Her young adult novels include Epic Fail and The Trouble with Flirting. She has contributed to GQ, Self Magazine, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal, among other publications, and to the anthology play Motherhood Out Loud. A graduate of Harvard University, she lives with her TV writer husband and four children in Pacific Palisades, California.

PENGUIN BOOKS

Published by the Penguin Group

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First published in the United States of America by Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. 2004

Published in Penguin Books 2005

This revised edition published 2014

Copyright 2004 by Lynn Kern Koegel and Claire LaZebnik

Copyright 2014 by Koegel Autism Consultants and Claire LaZebnik

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Koegel, Lynn Kern.

Overcoming autism : finding the answers, strategies, and hope that can transform a childs life / Lynn Kern Koegel, Ph.D., and Claire LaZebnik.Revised edition.

pages cm

Includes index.

ISBN 978-0-14-312654-6

ISBN 978-0-698-15743-9 (eBook)

1. Autism in children. 2. Child rearing. 3. Autistic childrenCare. 4. Parents of autistic children. I. LaZebnik, Claire Scovell. II. Title.

RJ506.A9K636 2014

618.92'85882dc23

2013046676

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is complete and accurate. However, neither the publisher nor the authors are engaged in rendering professional advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions contained in this book are not intended as a substitute for consulting with a professional who knows your child and is able to reliably assess whether a program is resulting in meaningful changes. All matters regarding your childs health require medical supervision from your childs pediatrician. Neither the authors nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion in this book. The case histories in this book are based on actual individuals with a diagnosis of autism; however, in all cases, names and identifying characteristics have been changed.

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For Andrew, who brought our families together, and who tackles every challenge with courage, good humor, and enthusiasm