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A review by cassie7e
Autism by Uta Frith
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