"Sense and Nonsense in the Behavioral Treatment of Autism: It Has To Be Said" Book Review

"Sense and Nonsense in the Behavioral Treatment of Autism: It Has To Be Said", written by Ronald Leaf, Ph.D., John McEachin, Ph.D., Mitchell Taubman, Ph.D. and their colleagues at Autism Partnership. The authors of this book support the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) approach for treating Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). They cover the history of ABA, the misconceptions, practical applications, along with the benefits if ABA is used correctly.

The authors also cover other therapies that have been used for ASD. These include, but are not limited to, Sensory Integration, Floor Time, and dietary interventions. They list what the therapies are supposed to do and the scientific support for them. After going through all of this, the authors discuss the educational resistance that parents often find in treating their child, IEP's and goal setting, meaningful progress and inclusion.

I liked this book. I found it a great tool for parents who are advocating for their child. When my son first received his diagnosis of ASD, I was on the computer researching everything. Trying to figure out what I could do to help my child and educating myself on ASD and the treatments available. I wish I had been able to read this book at the beginning of my family's journey. Five years later, I still do not have all the answers. I do not think you ever do. I was still able to get a lot of useful information from this book. It reminded me to be critical about choosing a new therapy for my son. Analyze the scientific support for it and determine whether or not the treatment may have any long-term effects that could harm my son.

If you are new to autism or are hitting a brick wall and need a fresh perspective, you should read this book. The authors state at the beginning of the book that ABA therapy is where their loyalties are. Keep this in mind while reading the book. I appreciated the fact that they tell you this up front and that they were still able to present other therapies objectionally.

For more information about what information can be found in this book, please read the article I have written about it. The article can be accessed under My Articles, to the right of my posts. I hope you enjoy reading it, as I really enjoyed writing it.