Book Review

Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Complete Guide to Understanding Autism

by: Chantal Sicile-Kira

About the Author

Sicile-Kira presents an easy-to-read, simple view of Autism Spectrum Disorder.  She draws on her years of experience as a parent of a child with ASD and a professional.  Chantal Sicile-Kira is a national speaker and advocate who has been involved with autism spectrum disorder for nearly 20 years.  She hosts a radio show, “The Real World of Autism with Chantal”, on Autism One Radio.  Her company, Autism Making a Difference, Inc., provides workshops and training materials.  

About the Book

Sicile-Kira covers many topics (e.g., education, diagnosis, treatments, family life, resources, and life for adults with autism) but does not generally provide sufficient detail to be truly informative.  The breadth of topics is good for a reader looking to get a brief overview of ASD and many of the aspects of life with ASD.  However, if you are looking for an in-depth read, this book is not for you. 

Chantal Sicile-Kira’s book is a good resource and starting point.  She presents many different resources in each chapter and offers ideas for making contacts in your own area.  Going through many of the resources (websites, books, organizations) will help give you more in-depth details about ASD and everything that goes with life. 

Strong points: discussing education, especially getting through an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting – perfect for a first time parent going through the IEP process;  easy to understand and follow parent’s perspective; resources – websites, organizations, other books to reference

Weaknesses: not very in-depth, especially in different therapy options; uses quotes to make points, but uses the same few references; very general description of ASD; often presents opinions as facts;

Below is a list of the chapters in Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Complete Guide to Understanding Autism

Chapter 1: The Myths and History of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Chapter 2: What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder and How to Know if a Person Has ASD

Chapter 3: What Causes Autism Spectrum Disorder and Why Do People with ASD Act the Way They Do?

Chapter 4: Newly Diagnosed Adults and Parents of Children with ASD: After the Diagnosis

Chapter 5: Treatments, Therapies, and Interventions

Chapter 6: Family Life

Chapter 7: Education

Chapter 8: Community Life

Chapter 9: Adults Living and Working with Autism Spectrum Disorder