Autism

Overcoming Autism: Finding the Answers, Strategies, and Hope That Can Transform a Child's Life
by Lynn Kern Koegel, Ph.D., Claire LaZebnik

A definitive breakthrough guide to transforming the lives of children and families affected by autism.

There have been huge advances in our ability to diagnose autism and in the development of effective interventions that can change children's lives. In this extraordinary book, Lynn Kern Koegel, a leading clinician, researcher, and cofounder of the renowned Autism Research Center at the University of California at Santa Barbara, combines her cutting-edge expertise with the everyday perspectives of Claire LaZebnik, a writer whose experience with a son with autism provides a rare window into the disorder. Together, they draw on the highly effective "pivotal response" approach developed at the center to provide concrete ways of improving the symptoms of autism and the emotional struggles that surround it, while reminding readers never to lose sight of the humor that lurks in the disability's quirkiness or the importance of enjoying your child. From the shock of diagnosis to the step-by-step work with verbal communication, social interaction, self-stimulation, meltdowns, fears, and more, the answers are here-in a book that is as warm and nurturing as it is authoritative.

There are few things in life scarier than having a child diagnosed with any kind of special need, and autism is one of the scariest disabilities, because the diagnosis tells you nothing about a child's prognosis. No one can honestly say to you, "We know exactly what your child will be like when he's twenty."

People will, however, feel free to comment on the diagnosis in every way, most of them unhelpful. You'll hear things like "They're crazy, he's just a late talker," "My cousin's brother's kid had autism, and they changed his diet and he was cured," and "Oh, my god, are you going to put him in an institution?" You'll start reading articles and combing the Internet for helpful information, and you'll find that there are a lot of conflicting opinions out there - some people swear by certain approaches, others by completely different ones, and some even believe a kid with autism should just be left alone, since "he'll be whatever he's going to be, and nothing you do will make any difference."

Now, that's where they're wrong. So wrong it's mind-boggling.

Everything you do will make a difference.

There's a lot you can do for your child, more than you may be aware of right now. That's why we wrote this book - to show you how intelligent, well-planned early interventions based on years of field research can improve the symptoms of autism enormously, often to the point where many or all of the symptoms of autism might be said to have been "overcome." Some children with autism become indistinguishable from their peers.

Does that sound miraculous to you? It's not. There are no miracles. It would be nice if a nonverbal kid suddenly started talking in sentences, if a self-injurious kid suddenly decided he preferred playing the piano to hitting himself in the head, and if a withdrawn boy suddenly realized that it's fun to play with other kids. Of course, none of that's simply going to happen. Well, not suddenly, anyway.

The good news, though, is that if you remove "suddenly" from the previous paragraph, it's a completely different story, because we have seen all these things happen. They just didn't happen suddenly or out of the blue - they were the result of hard work, a well-planned schedule of interventions, and a consistency of approach stretching from the family to the school to all therapies and clinical work.

It Takes Hard Work

There are no miracle cures in autism, just a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. As of yet, there are no pills, shots, diets, or any other "quick fixes" that cure autism completely and across the board. To date, there are no medications that can make broad and widespread improvements in children with autism. Further, many medications can have serious and harmful long-term effects on young children. However, there are well-researched, time-proven procedures that can make a difference - excellent behavioral interventions that allow families and professionals systematically to reduce or eliminate each undesirable symptom and improve each area of need.

If your child was just diagnosed, you might need some time to get used to the idea. (See chapter 1, "Diagnosis: Surviving the Worst News You'll Ever Get.") Take a few days. Cry, moan, scream, bitch, blame your spouse's family - do whatever you need to for a little while. A very little while. Then roll up your sleeves and get to work. Your child needs you to help him get better.

How to Use This Book

We wrote this book because we wanted to get the message across that with the right interventions, you can improve a child's prognosis enormously.

In these pages, we offer both a general understanding of how to tackle the symptoms of autism in someone you know and a description of the specific interventions you'll need to do so. It's a starting point and a way of unifying your approach across the board. It is not a replacement for finding talented and dedicated clinicians and therapists in your area to aid you in your journey, but we will offer advice on how to find those professionals if you're a parent, or how to better serve your patients if you're already in the field.

Separating Out Symptoms

If you glance through the table of contents, you'll see that by and large we've organized the book by symptoms - the various ways that the disability of autism tends to make itself known. You may be used to child-rearing advice books that are organized by the child's age or by his temperament, and that offer a wide range of advice that may or may not be applicable to your child at that point in time. Ours is different.

We chose to focus on one symptom at a time for a very simple reason: every child with autism is different and needs a different intervention plan. This plan needs to be based on that specific child's needs and the symptoms being exhibited, not on some general idea of how a kid with autism behaves.

There can't be one intervention plan for all children with autism, because autism is just a name for a cluster of symptoms that can (but don't always) include repetitive motions, aggression, a lack of speech development, and an inability to interact socially. By taking each symptom your child expresses and systematically addressing it with a comprehensive intervention plan (which we will show you how to do), you will see gradual, steady improvement in your child or client.

Our approach has grown out of years of research and positive outcomes and is based on what's known as "behavior interventions" or "applied behavior analysis" - in other words, if a child is exhibiting problematic behaviors, we can intervene, decreasing the negative behaviors by introducing and reinforcing positive behaviors that take their place.

Just a few short decades ago, children with autism were given up as hopeless cases, incapable of learning, and often stuck in institutions for the rest of their lives. Now we know that not only can these kids learn, but the brain's ability to lay down new neural pathways is astounding. It's important to be aware of this history, because there are still people out there who believe children with autism cannot be taught, that their futures are written at birth. These people are clinging to archaic beliefs that have long been proven inaccurate, so don't allow anyone to discourage you from teaching your child.

© 2005 Penguin, a division of Penguin Putnam, used by permission.

About the Author

Lynn Kern Koegel is one of the world's foremost experts on the treatment of autism. She and her husband, Robert L. Koegel, Ph.D., founded the renowned Autism Research Center at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Californian, Santa Barbara. She lives in Santa Barbara, California.

Claire LaZebnik is a published novelist and magazine writer. She lives with her husband and four children in Pacific Palisades, California.