Hello Everyone,
This month’s BLOG will begin with a chance to view my slideshow GALLERY of Books and focus on the offered Extended Book Reviews. The slideshow shows the book covers, divided into the following categories ~
AMAZING ADVENTURES
DIAGNOSIS, DOCTORS, DENIAL
SAVVY SOLUTIONS
SCHOOL ON THE SHORT BUS
Hopefully, these stories will help parents, clinicians, academics, and all people #Autism, in connecting with those who have gone before us on their Autism Journey. March's BLOGs give snippets of my Extended Book Reviews; find full reviews on website MENU; along with a LINK to purchase the eBook. You will find each Autism story to be engaging, compelling, and as different as each family's Autism journey.
This month’s BLOG will begin with a chance to view my slideshow GALLERY of Books and focus on the offered Extended Book Reviews. The slideshow shows the book covers, divided into the following categories ~
AMAZING ADVENTURES
DIAGNOSIS, DOCTORS, DENIAL
SAVVY SOLUTIONS
SCHOOL ON THE SHORT BUS
Hopefully, these stories will help parents, clinicians, academics, and all people #Autism, in connecting with those who have gone before us on their Autism Journey. March's BLOGs give snippets of my Extended Book Reviews; find full reviews on website MENU; along with a LINK to purchase the eBook. You will find each Autism story to be engaging, compelling, and as different as each family's Autism journey.
'From the Category – DIAGNOSIS, DOCTORS, DENIAL Read the full reviews, plus LINKs to eBooks, on www.sarasautismsite.com.
Making Peace with Autism: One Family’s Story of Struggle, Discovery & Unexpected Gifts, by Susan Senator, eBook 2006; an Extended Book Review with < My Thoughts > by Sara Luker
Excerpts from the book – (3% indicates location in the Kindle version of the book, instead of page numbers).
< My Thoughts > Susan Senator is the mother of three boys, the oldest of whom has autism. She is also the author of the Autism Mom’s Survival Guide (for Dad’s too!): Creating a Balanced & Happy Life While Raising a Child with Autism (2011) and Autism Adulthood: Strategies & Insights for a Fulfilling Life (2016); among others. You may also find Susan and Nat on social media.
3% Making Peace with Autism is the story of a family – a husband, wife and three sons – and our struggle to incorporate our oldest son’s autism into our lives. With this book I hope to convey that despite the tremendous challenges that autism brings, you can find happiness as a family – even if you don’t find a miracle cure. Here’s how we’ve done it.
During Nat’s first week, I did express a few misgivings about the way he would throw up his hands at the slightest jostling or sound. “Why does he do that?” I asked my sister. It was easier asking her, a med student, than calling the pediatrician, whom I felt I was already calling too much.
That’s his startle reflex,” Laura explained. “Infants have that to protect themselves, to let them know something’s around.” But why did he do it so often? The least little thing would set him off. Arms shooting up, eyes wide. His body would explode in reaction to every sudden move or loud noise. It didn’t seem right to me, no matter what I was told about it.
< My Thoughts > "...throw up his hands..."
“Arms shooting up, eyes wide, that’s his startle reflex…” Stuck in sensory mode of appearing startled when approached suddenly. This is common in newborns. But when it continues past that developmental stage, then it could be a 'red flag' for sensory issues.
According to Bogdashina, O. & Casanova (2016), many autistic individuals (who use one sense at a time), involvement of other senses can bring sensory overload. She says, “Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder because it covers so many different areas of cognition. Yet for autistic individuals with sensory problems, the term ‘pervasive’ acquires a different meaning. It is pervasive because sensory problems are with them every minute of every day.” Certain behaviors, which sometimes become ritualistic, serve to help them when perceiving themselves in relation to their environment. A way of reacting that makes them feel safe.
9% Even though Nat hit the major developmental milestones on time, such as rolling over, crawling, standing walking, and even speaking his first words, his lack of interest in people and toys would gnaw at me.
It made me want to stuff so much into every interaction, so as to get it all in before he looked away.
As for toys, he would set up his Fisher-Price dolls in a perfect line, but then he would simply stare at them. and suck his thumb. There they stayed on his rug, like little soldiers forever waiting for the call. I would show him how to do things time and time again, but it never took.
< My Thoughts > “I would show him how to do things time and time again...”
Perhaps it was too soon, but Susan’s wonderful intuition was at work here. She tried to engage him where he wanted to be; on the rug, on the floor.
‘Floortime Play-therapy…’ Retrieved from – https://www.stanleygreenspan.com/
‘Floortime’ is a comprehensive program for infants, young children and families facing a variety of developmental and learning challenges. The program is called ‘Floortime’ because you follow the child’s lead, getting down on the floor when they do.
The whole family can learn to join in the child’s world (a little island on the floor), thus leading them to join into the shared world the family lives in. This will help them master their functional and developmental capacities through ‘shared attention’ and by beginning in ‘engagement’.
Originator, Dr. Stanley Greenspan says – We call the model the “DIR/Floortime Model” – because the “D” part means we focus directly working on what the child needs’ like working on engagement or two-way communication. The “I” is focusing in on the child’s individual ways of dealing with sensory sensations, like being ‘over’ or ‘under’ reactive. The “R” is learning relationships that are tailored to the child’s nervous system; meeting them where they are, developmentally. All of this, makes DIR a special kind of play.
Note: More about 'DIR/Floortime', go to MENU for – Know Autism, Know Your Child with < My Thoughts > by Sara Luker. Read on this website under – UNIT 7 – 1 Who May Help? OTHER THERAPIES, SECTION 1: DIR/Floortime, (Developmental, Individual Differences, Relationship-Based Approach (DIR/Floortime; also called “Floortime” or Floortime Play)
12% Max allowed me to enjoy motherhood for the first time because now I was parenting a normal child. It was like floating, like falling asleep, like breathing for the first time in a long while. Unlike Nat, Max connected with me from the start, which made me feel confident that I was actually doing things right.
< My Thoughts > “…parenting a normal child.”
Diagnosis, Doctors & Denial seem to really come into focus when Susan had her second child and Nat was 18-months-old.
12% Max would look at me and look at me. We could not get enough of looking at each other. Ned couldn’t help but feel the contrast between his two sons, and more and more, he began to let himself see that things were not going well with Nat.
For my part, as my bond with Max strengthened daily, I could feel Nat slipping away. The voices in my head were getting louder. “Something is wrong with Nat,” they said.
13% To me, it was like a bad dream. Our sunny, silent, compliant little boy was changing into a stormy, loud, difficult child. “I don’t know what to do,” I said. “I’ve tried everything. You know I have.” He doesn’t like other kids! Is that so terrible?” was (husband) Ned’s reply.
My friend Merle said, “I think you need to take him to your pediatrician and talk to her about this.” “I’ve tried to talk to her!” I said to Merle. “She doesn’t think there’s anything wrong!” Merle shrugged.
14% We made a list of all the things Nat couldn’t do and brought it to our pediatrician. After reading it, she nodded quietly and gave us the name of a developmental pediatrician. Oh my God, I thought, my breath stopping in my throat. She’s not talking me out of it. She finally sees the same thing I see.
< My Thoughts > “…sees the same thing I see.”
There is a formal checklist on the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, www.cdc.gov/ActEarly. Also, parents may want to use their phone to video the behaviors which concern them, to share with the doctor. Seeing is believing.
Note: For further information on Communication, go to MENU for – Know Autism, Know Your Child with < My Thoughts > by Sara Luker. Find on MENU, under – UNIT 1 – How Will I Know It's Autism? CHAPTER 1 – Checklists, APPENDIX A Informal Checklist, CHAPTER 2 – Red Flags, APPENDIX B Red Flags for Older Kids, CHAPTER 3 – Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), PART 1. Developmental Screening, APPENDIX C Developmental Screening
14% We booked two hour-long appointments for an evaluation with Dr. E., a development specialist at a renowned children’s hospital in our area. He would see us in January, just after New Year’s. Having made the appointment, we didn’t discuss it. We just waited.
At the end of the appointment, Dr. E. told us he suspected something called PDD, pervasive developmental disorder, which, he told us, falls under the umbrella of autism. (Today, the terms PDD & ASD are often used interchangeably.)
The diagnosis gave me a heavy, cold feeling; I instantly knew it was accurate. I sat there without much to say at first, while it began to sink into my consciousness. But this was only the beginning of a very long process of understanding, of letting autism settle itself into our midst.
Reference:
Bogdashina, O. & Casanova (2016). Sensory Perceptual Issues in Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Different Sensory Experiences – Different Perceptual Worlds; Second Edition: London; Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
End of excerpt from the eBook by Susan Senator. See the full Extended Book Review on my website.
Thank you for reading and sharing my BLOGs. Comments are welcomed, to be viewed and answered privately. My goal is to assist families, clinicians, educators, and all people ‘autism’, to continue their journey on the Autism Highway. At the end of each website Extended Book Review, please find a source to have the whole book to read.
Regards,
Sara Luker
Paid Link Disclosure -
These Extended Book Reviews have an Amazon Link for actual book purchases. Please read this Paid Link Disclosure AKA Affiliate Links Disclosure:
Sometimes there are paid links, also known as affiliate links, used on this site. My website, www.sarasautismsite.com, is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
I may earn or receive a small paid commission from referrals for book purchases made through posts, pages, and links on this site. But I try to remain unbiased and I do not accept paid reviews. All opinions expressed here are my own.
There is no extra cost to you when purchases are made using the provided links. By using the links I provide you agree that you’ve read this paid link disclosure statement.
Thank you!
Sara Luker
Making Peace with Autism: One Family’s Story of Struggle, Discovery & Unexpected Gifts, by Susan Senator, eBook 2006; an Extended Book Review with < My Thoughts > by Sara Luker
Excerpts from the book – (3% indicates location in the Kindle version of the book, instead of page numbers).
< My Thoughts > Susan Senator is the mother of three boys, the oldest of whom has autism. She is also the author of the Autism Mom’s Survival Guide (for Dad’s too!): Creating a Balanced & Happy Life While Raising a Child with Autism (2011) and Autism Adulthood: Strategies & Insights for a Fulfilling Life (2016); among others. You may also find Susan and Nat on social media.
3% Making Peace with Autism is the story of a family – a husband, wife and three sons – and our struggle to incorporate our oldest son’s autism into our lives. With this book I hope to convey that despite the tremendous challenges that autism brings, you can find happiness as a family – even if you don’t find a miracle cure. Here’s how we’ve done it.
During Nat’s first week, I did express a few misgivings about the way he would throw up his hands at the slightest jostling or sound. “Why does he do that?” I asked my sister. It was easier asking her, a med student, than calling the pediatrician, whom I felt I was already calling too much.
That’s his startle reflex,” Laura explained. “Infants have that to protect themselves, to let them know something’s around.” But why did he do it so often? The least little thing would set him off. Arms shooting up, eyes wide. His body would explode in reaction to every sudden move or loud noise. It didn’t seem right to me, no matter what I was told about it.
< My Thoughts > "...throw up his hands..."
“Arms shooting up, eyes wide, that’s his startle reflex…” Stuck in sensory mode of appearing startled when approached suddenly. This is common in newborns. But when it continues past that developmental stage, then it could be a 'red flag' for sensory issues.
According to Bogdashina, O. & Casanova (2016), many autistic individuals (who use one sense at a time), involvement of other senses can bring sensory overload. She says, “Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder because it covers so many different areas of cognition. Yet for autistic individuals with sensory problems, the term ‘pervasive’ acquires a different meaning. It is pervasive because sensory problems are with them every minute of every day.” Certain behaviors, which sometimes become ritualistic, serve to help them when perceiving themselves in relation to their environment. A way of reacting that makes them feel safe.
9% Even though Nat hit the major developmental milestones on time, such as rolling over, crawling, standing walking, and even speaking his first words, his lack of interest in people and toys would gnaw at me.
It made me want to stuff so much into every interaction, so as to get it all in before he looked away.
As for toys, he would set up his Fisher-Price dolls in a perfect line, but then he would simply stare at them. and suck his thumb. There they stayed on his rug, like little soldiers forever waiting for the call. I would show him how to do things time and time again, but it never took.
< My Thoughts > “I would show him how to do things time and time again...”
Perhaps it was too soon, but Susan’s wonderful intuition was at work here. She tried to engage him where he wanted to be; on the rug, on the floor.
‘Floortime Play-therapy…’ Retrieved from – https://www.stanleygreenspan.com/
‘Floortime’ is a comprehensive program for infants, young children and families facing a variety of developmental and learning challenges. The program is called ‘Floortime’ because you follow the child’s lead, getting down on the floor when they do.
The whole family can learn to join in the child’s world (a little island on the floor), thus leading them to join into the shared world the family lives in. This will help them master their functional and developmental capacities through ‘shared attention’ and by beginning in ‘engagement’.
Originator, Dr. Stanley Greenspan says – We call the model the “DIR/Floortime Model” – because the “D” part means we focus directly working on what the child needs’ like working on engagement or two-way communication. The “I” is focusing in on the child’s individual ways of dealing with sensory sensations, like being ‘over’ or ‘under’ reactive. The “R” is learning relationships that are tailored to the child’s nervous system; meeting them where they are, developmentally. All of this, makes DIR a special kind of play.
Note: More about 'DIR/Floortime', go to MENU for – Know Autism, Know Your Child with < My Thoughts > by Sara Luker. Read on this website under – UNIT 7 – 1 Who May Help? OTHER THERAPIES, SECTION 1: DIR/Floortime, (Developmental, Individual Differences, Relationship-Based Approach (DIR/Floortime; also called “Floortime” or Floortime Play)
12% Max allowed me to enjoy motherhood for the first time because now I was parenting a normal child. It was like floating, like falling asleep, like breathing for the first time in a long while. Unlike Nat, Max connected with me from the start, which made me feel confident that I was actually doing things right.
< My Thoughts > “…parenting a normal child.”
Diagnosis, Doctors & Denial seem to really come into focus when Susan had her second child and Nat was 18-months-old.
12% Max would look at me and look at me. We could not get enough of looking at each other. Ned couldn’t help but feel the contrast between his two sons, and more and more, he began to let himself see that things were not going well with Nat.
For my part, as my bond with Max strengthened daily, I could feel Nat slipping away. The voices in my head were getting louder. “Something is wrong with Nat,” they said.
13% To me, it was like a bad dream. Our sunny, silent, compliant little boy was changing into a stormy, loud, difficult child. “I don’t know what to do,” I said. “I’ve tried everything. You know I have.” He doesn’t like other kids! Is that so terrible?” was (husband) Ned’s reply.
My friend Merle said, “I think you need to take him to your pediatrician and talk to her about this.” “I’ve tried to talk to her!” I said to Merle. “She doesn’t think there’s anything wrong!” Merle shrugged.
14% We made a list of all the things Nat couldn’t do and brought it to our pediatrician. After reading it, she nodded quietly and gave us the name of a developmental pediatrician. Oh my God, I thought, my breath stopping in my throat. She’s not talking me out of it. She finally sees the same thing I see.
< My Thoughts > “…sees the same thing I see.”
There is a formal checklist on the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, www.cdc.gov/ActEarly. Also, parents may want to use their phone to video the behaviors which concern them, to share with the doctor. Seeing is believing.
Note: For further information on Communication, go to MENU for – Know Autism, Know Your Child with < My Thoughts > by Sara Luker. Find on MENU, under – UNIT 1 – How Will I Know It's Autism? CHAPTER 1 – Checklists, APPENDIX A Informal Checklist, CHAPTER 2 – Red Flags, APPENDIX B Red Flags for Older Kids, CHAPTER 3 – Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), PART 1. Developmental Screening, APPENDIX C Developmental Screening
14% We booked two hour-long appointments for an evaluation with Dr. E., a development specialist at a renowned children’s hospital in our area. He would see us in January, just after New Year’s. Having made the appointment, we didn’t discuss it. We just waited.
At the end of the appointment, Dr. E. told us he suspected something called PDD, pervasive developmental disorder, which, he told us, falls under the umbrella of autism. (Today, the terms PDD & ASD are often used interchangeably.)
The diagnosis gave me a heavy, cold feeling; I instantly knew it was accurate. I sat there without much to say at first, while it began to sink into my consciousness. But this was only the beginning of a very long process of understanding, of letting autism settle itself into our midst.
Reference:
Bogdashina, O. & Casanova (2016). Sensory Perceptual Issues in Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Different Sensory Experiences – Different Perceptual Worlds; Second Edition: London; Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
End of excerpt from the eBook by Susan Senator. See the full Extended Book Review on my website.
Thank you for reading and sharing my BLOGs. Comments are welcomed, to be viewed and answered privately. My goal is to assist families, clinicians, educators, and all people ‘autism’, to continue their journey on the Autism Highway. At the end of each website Extended Book Review, please find a source to have the whole book to read.
Regards,
Sara Luker
Paid Link Disclosure -
These Extended Book Reviews have an Amazon Link for actual book purchases. Please read this Paid Link Disclosure AKA Affiliate Links Disclosure:
Sometimes there are paid links, also known as affiliate links, used on this site. My website, www.sarasautismsite.com, is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
I may earn or receive a small paid commission from referrals for book purchases made through posts, pages, and links on this site. But I try to remain unbiased and I do not accept paid reviews. All opinions expressed here are my own.
There is no extra cost to you when purchases are made using the provided links. By using the links I provide you agree that you’ve read this paid link disclosure statement.
Thank you!
Sara Luker
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