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cell172's review against another edition
The information in this book was out of date when it was first published in 2008. I'm not sure why Oxford Press is still selling this book as if it's current.
librarypatron's review against another edition
3.0
Helpful snapshot of what we know about autism, and a lot about what we don't know. I appreciate her writing style, though keeping the names of her example people straight was difficult.
auntieerrica's review against another edition
4.0
Not bad and definitely short. Frith provides helpful and interesting information about autism in a bite-sized package that introduces various concepts about why autism develops in some individuals. I would read it again.
cakesandspace's review against another edition
I had this saved on my audiobook app for awhile. I honestly regret even trying it.
The language used was offensive....
"being autistic could be in many ways worse than being born blind or deaf" - literally not even half way through the 1st chapter...
Also, the 'r' slur...
The entire POV is not that scientific but actually quite ableist.
Do not recommend at all.
*edit:
i had spelled 'ableist' wrong... fucking dyslexia, man
The language used was offensive....
"being autistic could be in many ways worse than being born blind or deaf" - literally not even half way through the 1st chapter...
Also, the 'r' slur...
The entire POV is not that scientific but actually quite ableist.
Do not recommend at all.
*edit:
i had spelled 'ableist' wrong... fucking dyslexia, man
rustagh's review against another edition
2.0
I can excuse the outdated information, but I cannot and will not forgive this author for the thoughtless deification of Nazi doctor Hans Asperger, the praise of ABA therapy and the downright disrespectful and hateful way she speaks of autistic people. A researcher should know better.
linaslzr's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.75
Informative, if a tad outdated. Still a decent snapshot of research and limitations.
vxx's review against another edition
informative, though the negative connotations towards people with autism are a no-go!!!
michelleful's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted an overview of current-ish theories of autism and the desiderata for what we would want such a theory to explain, and I more or less got it in this book.
It did have flaws as others have pointed out, though I think a lot of it was simply pushback against a very extreme, probably straw-man neuro-diversity position by pointing out that families of some individuals with severe autism are very adversely affected by it. She does take pains also to point out that many people with autism find ways to cope with it, function socially, and be happy.
Her description of the various theories tends to be rather hand-wavy and imprecise (like the one about the Self, as if capitalising the first letter gives it any predictive power at all), which I didn't care for, but I think a lot of that reflects the state of the playing field and how little we know about autism at all. I was glad that she was upfront about what things we aren't sure of (basically everything, except that autism isn't caused by vaccines).
It did have flaws as others have pointed out, though I think a lot of it was simply pushback against a very extreme, probably straw-man neuro-diversity position by pointing out that families of some individuals with severe autism are very adversely affected by it. She does take pains also to point out that many people with autism find ways to cope with it, function socially, and be happy.
Her description of the various theories tends to be rather hand-wavy and imprecise (like the one about the Self, as if capitalising the first letter gives it any predictive power at all), which I didn't care for, but I think a lot of that reflects the state of the playing field and how little we know about autism at all. I was glad that she was upfront about what things we aren't sure of (basically everything, except that autism isn't caused by vaccines).
cassie7e's review against another edition
2.0
Firstly, this book is riddled with errors like missing articles (a/an) and pluralizations (-s) and unnecessary commas that trip up reading. It also lacks citations for many of its assertions.
I recommend this book for:
-breakdown of typical child development targets by age
-describes common comorbid conditions
-acknowledges that not all autistic people have the same symptoms or to the same extent
-acknowledges that some autistic people can live normal lives
-notes that the rise in cases may be due to increased diagnosis, not increased rates (but still states that autism is less common in girls rather than less diagnosed)
-Points out that children receive many vaccines around the time symptoms are noticed and associate the two, but that research does not support any connection
-acknowledges a/multiple genetic components to autism that may be immediately heritable or influenced during development
-addresses the ways parents may respond to their child's diagnosis, including anger and denial, and recommends discussion of difficult feelings instead of suppression, and not directing them at the kid
-recommends parents to encourage self-advocacy in their autistic kids
-does not provide one-size-fits-all approaches
-recommends being proud of your kid's accomplishments and not comparing them to others', just like you would be of a nonautistic child
I do not recommend this book for the following reasons:
-It presents a medicalized view of autism as a disorder only, with information about "reducing the risk" (eugenics basically), and conflates the disabilities or deficiencies associated with autism with the entirety of autism (hence the idea that it can be cured/treated/not be a lifelong condition)
-It presents ABA therapies as appropriate treatments rather than traumatic forced behavior adjustments
-Exclusive use of person-first language got really annoying
-Primarily aimed at parents/caregivers wondering how to notice and treat autism in their young children
-does no explaining of what it is like to be autistic or how to support yourself if you notice autistic traits; mainly a breakdown of all the problems or lack of typical developmental behaviors autistic people show
I recommend this book for:
-breakdown of typical child development targets by age
-describes common comorbid conditions
-acknowledges that not all autistic people have the same symptoms or to the same extent
-acknowledges that some autistic people can live normal lives
-notes that the rise in cases may be due to increased diagnosis, not increased rates (but still states that autism is less common in girls rather than less diagnosed)
-Points out that children receive many vaccines around the time symptoms are noticed and associate the two, but that research does not support any connection
-acknowledges a/multiple genetic components to autism that may be immediately heritable or influenced during development
-addresses the ways parents may respond to their child's diagnosis, including anger and denial, and recommends discussion of difficult feelings instead of suppression, and not directing them at the kid
-recommends parents to encourage self-advocacy in their autistic kids
-does not provide one-size-fits-all approaches
-recommends being proud of your kid's accomplishments and not comparing them to others', just like you would be of a nonautistic child
I do not recommend this book for the following reasons:
-It presents a medicalized view of autism as a disorder only, with information about "reducing the risk" (eugenics basically), and conflates the disabilities or deficiencies associated with autism with the entirety of autism (hence the idea that it can be cured/treated/not be a lifelong condition)
-It presents ABA therapies as appropriate treatments rather than traumatic forced behavior adjustments
-Exclusive use of person-first language got really annoying
-Primarily aimed at parents/caregivers wondering how to notice and treat autism in their young children
-does no explaining of what it is like to be autistic or how to support yourself if you notice autistic traits; mainly a breakdown of all the problems or lack of typical developmental behaviors autistic people show