March 2025 ~ Extended Book Reviews

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.

Read the full reviews, plus LINKs to eBooks, on www.sarasautismsite.com. Today’s book is from the Category – DIAGNOSIS, DOCTORS, DENIAL 

​Twirling Naked in the Streets and No One Noticed: Growing Up with Autism by Jeannie Davide-Rivera, eBooks 2013 Edition; an Extended Review with < My Thoughts > by Sara Luker
 
Excerpts from the book – (4% indicates location in the Kindle version of the book, instead of page numbers).

4%     They missed it; they missed me. I am a survivor; an autism survivor.
 
< My Thoughts >  “They missed it; they missed me.”

Children on the Autism Spectrum often go unnoticed until their environment makes more demands on their behavior and/or performance. Sometimes they are even missed until they find themselves in a demanding workplace (including school). Difficulties arise, causing anxiety issues and hyperactive behavior.  
 
4%   I’ve heard people say that they didn’t see many autistic children when they were growing up, but I am here to tell you that we indeed were in your midst.

When they noticed me walking on tip-toes, they made me a ballerina. When I twirled round and round, I was only dancing…they said that’s what little girls do.

< My Thoughts >     “…noticed me walking on tip-toes…”
 
Toe-walking is not one of the ‘core’ symptoms of autism. As with other unusual and/or unwanted behavior, it is a ‘red flag’ when the child still retains the behavior beyond the time when s/he should be developing other behaviors/skills. Also, if the toe-walking becomes a safety issue, then intervention may become necessary.
 
5%     Everything was my fault!
 
No one recognized my autism; no one saw that I had Asperger’s syndrome. How could they?  “Aspies” did not exist; not yet.
 
Some of my earliest memories were of my imaginary friends, but those friends were “real” people to me, friends who were a part of my very first all-consuming special interest – baseball.
 
By the time I was three years old, I memorized the entire Yankee line-up, including stats. Dad was proud of my fact memorizing capabilities. When my father could not throw the ball back and forth with me in the driveway, my “baseball men” were there to help with my training. I was obsessed with baseball; I was obsessed with my “baseball men.”  They were my friends.
 
< My Thoughts >    "...my earliest memories were of my imaginary friends,"
 
Along with imaginary friends, many children seem to respond to, communicate with, and ‘make friends’ with a favorite toy, or animated character they see on television/book.
 
Gleason, T.R. & Kalpido, M. (2014) ask, what ‘function’ does the imaginary friend serve the child? Parents can play detective. Baseball players have collectable, colorful ‘cards’ which portray them in action; or, provide close-ups of their faces. These are often accompanied by dates, statistics, and other information which may be memorized, internalized, and perseverated upon; thus, may be appealing to the person with autism.
 
7%     I was verbal, too verbal.  I was smart, too smart for my own good. 
 
< My Thoughts >     “I was smart, too smart for my own good.” 
 
Besides being an Aspie, this ‘twirling girl’ was undoubtedly a gifted student. 
 
15%   To my mother, I was just being difficult; I wanted to do things my own way.  I had a mind of my own and no one was going to change it – ever.

< My Thoughts >     “I was just being difficult…”
 
So often at home and at school, the child feels ‘marginalized’ and ‘isolated’ from the group and their peers. When parents and/or teachers see a child as ‘just being difficult’ it does great harm to that child’s well-being and sense of self. And while they may not be able to ‘read’ people’s feelings and emotions, somehow, they know when people turn against them. Studies show that sensitive children see how people really feel through the ‘auras’ and ‘energy field’, or changing colors which surround that person.
 
Note: For further information on ‘toe walking’, Diagnosis, Doctors, & Denial, go to MENU for – Know Autism, Know Your Child with < My Thoughts > by Sara Luker. Read online under – UNIT 3 What Is Most Concerning? CHAPTER 3 Gross & Fine Motor Skills, and UNIT 4 – When Is It Sensory? CHAPTER 1 Sensory Issues, and UNIT 2 Why is it Autism?



​Reference:
 
Edelson, S. M. (2016). Toe Walking; Center for the Study of Autism, Salem, OR. Retrieved online from https://www.autism.coqm/symptoms_toe_walking

Gleason, T.R. & Kalpido, M. (2014). Imaginary Companions and Young Children’s Coping and Competence; Social Development, Vol 23 No. 4, 820-839.

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