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Top Autism Resources

From , former About.com Guide

Updated February 09, 2010

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1. Top Parent Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorders

Understanding Autism for Dummies by Stephen Shore is far and away the most practical, complete introduction to autism for parents that I've ever read. It seems to address every question a parent might have, offering clear, useful advice and insights. Best of all, rather than including a mom's view perspective, it describes the experience of autism from the point of view of the author, who is a successful adult on the autism spectrum.

2. Top Parent Guide to Asperger Syndrome

The Oasis Guide to Asperger Syndrome

by Patricia Romanowski Bashe and Barbara L. Kirby is solid, well-written, positive, and loaded with resources. The authors are the creators of a website and organization which supports families living with Asperger syndrome, and the site is a terrific complement to the book.

3. Top Book for Young Readers

Rules by Cynthia Lord is a novel for 9-12 year olds written by Cynthia Lord, who happens to be the mom of a child on the autism spectrum. Rules won a Newbery Honor Award, and it certainly deserved it. This book is solid young adult literature, and a terrific tool for exploring the experience of being a sibling to a child with moderate to severe autism.

4. Top Controversial Book from the Mainstream Perspective

Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine and the Search for the Cure, by Paul Offit, is a well-written condemnation of those who support a connection between autism and vaccines. It's also a historical review of the controversy and its players. Both Offit and his book have been the focus of intense anger, support, attacks and praise. If you're interested in the vaccine controversy, this is the book to read.

5. Top Controversial Book from the Biomedical Perspective

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