Autism Disorder

Given the great deal of attention paid to music and autism, it is surprising to discover that autistic people have rarely been asked to account for how they themselves make and experience music or why it matters to them that they do. In Speaking for Ourselves, renowned ethnomusicologist Michael Bakan does just that, engaging in deep conversations - some spanning the course of years - with 10 fascinating and very different individuals who share two basic things in common: an autism spectrum diagnosis and a life in which music plays a central part.

"Mrs. Walden, your son has autism. He most likely will never speak or communicate normally. I suggest that you and your husband seek counseling and learn how to deal with this disorder." When Gina heard this, she thought to herself: No doctor is going to dictate my son's future. Only God will do that.Over the next few years, Gina and her husband, Brian, challenged convenional diagnosis to stand in faith for their precious son Ethan. From lawsuits with school boards through intensive early intervention, with tears and immense frustration, Brian and Gina Walden remained steadfast in their faith....

We all know the autistic genius stereotypes. The absentminded professor with untied shoelaces. The geeky Silicon Valley programmer who writes bulletproof code but can't get a date. But there is another set of (tiny) geniuses whom you would never add to those ranks - child prodigies. We mostly know them as the chatty and charming tykes who liven up day­time TV with violin solos and engaging banter. These kids aren't autistic, and there has never been any kind of scientific connection between autism and prodigy. Until now.

Lina was a precocious toddler - charming, chatty, joyful. At the age of three, in the aftermath of her second MMR vaccine, first came a seizure, and then, to her parents’ horror, the loss of Lina’s ability to play, use language, and control her impulses. Over the next few years they continued to lose Lina. She communicated her acute discomfort by biting, screaming, hitting, laughing maniacally, and throwing violent tantrums.

Powerful and eye-opening, Seeing Ezra is an inspirational chronicle of a mother's struggle to protect her son from a system that seeks to compartmentalize and "fix" him, and of her journey toward accepting and valuing him for who he is - just as he is.

Learn strategies from one mom and her friends that will help you survive raising autistic kids and enjoy the journey along the way.

Part memoir, part inspirational guide, Population One: Autism, Adversity and the Will to Succeed is a groundbreaking audiobook that offers listeners the ability to see life through the eyes of a young man with autism. Written by Tyler McNamer at the age of 17, Tyler not only details his challenges but also offers hope and encouragement to others who face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Whether you're an educator, a family member of someone with autism, or simply looking for inspiration, you'll appreciate the opportunity to step inside this remarkable young man's mind.

Nicole Hendrick Donovan, a mother of four, couldn’t have prepared for the events that led to her son’s removal from the public-school system. Behavioral spikes, depression, and anxiety were only symptoms of an underlying diagnosis that had gone untreated for years. On a sunny afternoon, Jack eloped from first grade, creating chaos and leaving a trail of injured staff in his wake. Within her memoir, Donovan describes the path to her son’s autism diagnosis and her journey to acceptance and unconditional love, not only for Jack, but also for herself.

Topics in the book include learning to read facial expressions and character intent, or understanding character responses which those on the autism spectrum may recognize in themselves. Star Trek fans will learn about how it feels to see the world from an autistic perspective and find new facets and ways to view the shows they love, while autistics, friends, loved ones, and parents of children on the autism spectrum will find new ways to better understand autism and spend enjoyable time together. Make it so.

Named president and CEO of NBC at the age of 43, he faced a two-headed dragon: on one hand, distrust from the network people deeply skeptical of the "suit" from GE, their new corporate parent; and on the other, fiscal oversight demands from a cautious, conservative institution reluctant to invest heavily in a media business they didn't understand. For the next 20 years, he managed to navigate the fine line between the two and in the process completely reinvent - and save - the network.

Does your child not answer when called, and aren't hitting the milestones you think they should? This book will help guide you in getting the answers and guidance you need to help your child get diagnosed, implementing a plan of support for you and your family in this challenging time.

Henry Markram is the Elon Musk of neuroscience, the man behind the billion-dollar Blue Brain Project to build a supercomputer model of the brain. He has set the goal of decoding all disturbances of the mind within a generation. This quest is personal for him. The driving force behind his grand ambition has been his son Kai, who has autism. Raising Kai made Henry Markram question all that he thought he knew about neuroscience, and then inspired his groundbreaking research that would upend the conventional wisdom about autism, expressed in his now-famous theory of Intense World Syndrome.

In this collection of beautiful and raw essays, Amy S. F. Lutz writes openly about her experience - the positive and the negative - as a mother of a now 21-year-old son with severe autism. Lutz's human emotion drives through each moment and challenges commonly held ideas that define autism either as a disease or as neurodiversity.

Welcome to My Life shares the 14-year journey of a true warrior mom advocating for her nonverbal, severely autistic son, from diagnosis through his teenage years. This brutally honest and heartwarming account details the daily struggles and often lack of social understanding that families face when raising a child who relies on parental assistance for every need.

Enter the world of 'Not Atypical Motherhood,' your comforting companion as the daunting words 'autism diagnosis' resonate in your thoughts. Crafted for mothers and caregivers facing or just receiving this diagnosis for their child, this book provides a guiding hand through the uncharted terrain of autism, weaving together personal narratives, useful guidance, and empathetic support.

Mike had managed to achieve his childhood dream of becoming a stand-up comedian in the San Francisco comedy scene of the 1980s. He was appearing on television and rubbing shoulders with the big stars of the day. His future was bright and the last thing he needed was a woman to come along who would shake his ideas of what true happiness was. But, come along she did, daring him to achieve something even greater than fame and fortune.

The award-winning book on engaging in more meaningful conversations with your child on the autism spectrum. If your child finds talking to people a struggle, this is the book to get the conversation started. In this hands-on guide, Heather Jones offers practical advice, born of experience with her own son, which will help you teach your child the principles of communication.

Seahawks star running back Curt Warner and his wife, Ana, were prominent figures in Seattle in the early 1990s. When they dropped from the public eye after Curt’s retirement, everyone assumed it was for a simpler life. But the reality behind their seclusion was a secret they hid from even their closest friends: their twins, Austin and Christian, had been diagnosed with severe autism. What followed was a painful struggle to hold their family and their marriage together in a home filled with chaos, emotional exhaustion, and constant fear for the safety of their unpredictable but beloved boys.

A game-changing exploration of what the future holds for the first generation of mainstreamed neurodiverse kids that is coming of age. After sleepless nights, intensive research, and twenty-one years of raising a child, Ethan, with autism and intellectual disability, Cammie McGovern is...

Many of us know people whom society and doctors would consider personality disordered or mentally ill. We often use these labels for diagnoses and treatment. Sometimes the labels aren't accurate due to difficulties in testing for disorders and due to the differing views of the physicians and psychoanalysts. But are these people really disordered after all? Is there truly a normal personality that exists, and if it does exist - what is it?