Autism Lite: Leading Our Child Off the Spectrum

Finalist in the 2021 Independent Author Network Book of the Year AwardsWonderful resource for parents of a newly diagnosed very young child and a great introduction to the Early Start Denver Model of effective early therapy. Lots of practical tips for working with autistic children aged two to four.-Temple Grandin author The Way I See It Thinking in PicturesThe story of one familys experience pulling their daughter out of autism.A bold playful and affectionate two-year-old Janie showed few overt signs of autism a disorder often too subtle to detect in young children-when therapy has the deepest impact. At the pediatricians suggestion she was evaluated and diagnosed with a mild high-functioning form of autism called PDD-NOS (or Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1 or 2). Janie began intensive therapy following the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) a behavioral and developmental therapy fast becoming one of the most effective treatments worldwide for children with autism under the age of five. With a talented therapist leading the way Janies family rallied around her to stop her quiet retreat into autism and draw her more fully into the world around her. Through play routines like popping bubbles obstacle courses and singing ESDM therapy targeted the symptoms that isolated her socially minimizing and often eliminating those tendencies before they hardwired for life. Autism Lite chronicles Janies extraordinary progress and her familys journey recognizing and understanding mild autism from choosing a therapy to navigating school IEPs from handling anxiety and eating issues to family sessions where her siblings learned to play with Janie in ways that developed her social skills to seeing their daughter gain critical communication skills begin to relate to other children and eventually make friends. An engaging honest and insightful memoir for anyone with a child in their immediate or extended family community classroom or practice with mild autism.