Magnificent Minds: The New Whole-Child Approach to Autism - Hardcover

Goh MD, Suzanne

 
9780593712719: Magnificent Minds: The New Whole-Child Approach to Autism
Hardcover
ISBN 10: 0593712714 ISBN 13: 9780593712719
Verlag: TarcherPerigee, 2024

Inhaltsangabe

An essential primer based on a renowned new model of care that is comprehensive and research based, while honoring the uniqueness of every child

An estimated one in thirty-six children in the United States is diagnosed with autism. New research has shed light on the many factors that determine a child’s trajectory—but many parents are still navigating this complex terrain without a road map. Pediatric neurologist Dr. Suzanne Goh has spent decades working with autistic children, and in this practical and research-based guide she shares her renowned and revolutionary model of care: an innovative, whole-child approach that combines optimal medical treatment with the most effective strategies for advancing cognition, communication, and behavior.

Demystifying a wide range of diagnostics and therapies and offering new insights into the neurological, biochemical, behavioral, and social factors that play a role in successful outcomes, the book is an essential resource for understanding all of autism—a strengths-based approach that helps parents design a comprehensive treatment plan. It is also a celebration of what each autistic person brings to the world—and how parents can best nurture the remarkable uniqueness of their child while setting them up for the future they envision.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Suzanne Goh, MD, BCBA, is cofounder and chief medical officer of Cortica, the largest provider of comprehensive health services for autism in the United States. Cortica began in Goh’s one-room medical office in San Diego ten years ago and has grown to a staff of more than a thousand doctors and therapists who serve tens of thousands of autistic children and their families in the United States and abroad. A graduate of Harvard University, Oxford University, and Harvard Medical School, she is former codirector of Columbia University's Developmental Neuropsychiatry Clinic for Autism, where she conducted research on the biological causes of autism and used brain imaging to identify patterns of neural circuitry and brain chemistry. Goh is currently a faculty member of the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs and is a frequent speaker for parent advocacy organizations. She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband and two children.

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The hotel lobby was buzzing with parents, doctors, therapists, and educators, all picking up registration packets for the four-day conference. A quick review of the program showed more than sixty presenters covering topics like navigating school-based services, approaches to behavior management, augmentative and alternative communication, strategies for executive functioning, diet and nutrition, gastrointestinal conditions, immune function, and my own talk on seizures. Just the titles and descriptions of the presentations were a lot to take in.

As I rifled through my packet for my presenter's badge, I heard a familiar voice call my name. I turned around to see Joanna, the mom of my young patient Andy, a vibrant three-year-old with brown hair and blue eyes, who had autism, epilepsy, and a genetic condition. In addition to reading everything she could about Andy's diagnoses, Joanna was caring for Andy's two-month-old brother, so I was amazed that she always arrived for appointments with a list of insightful questions. I was also amazed that she'd managed to make it to the conference on an early Saturday morning.

"Hi, Joanna! What do you think of the conference?" I asked.

Her bright smile faded and tears filled her eyes. She said, "It's too much. I don't know how to do this."

I leaned forward and put a hand on her arm. "Just take in what you can and that's more than enough. Write down your questions, and we'll go through them the next time we meet." She nodded and we walked through the crowded hall together.

Unfortunately, being overwhelmed by information about autism is common. Just twenty years ago, information was hard to find, but now there's more than any parent or professional can possibly absorb. The sheer volume can lead parents on an endless search fueled by the belief "If I knew more and did more, my child would be better off." Many parents I meet have tried dozens, sometimes hundreds, of interventions. Even after pouring significant personal and financial resources into therapies, they doubt whether they've done enough. That persistent uncertainty takes a powerful toll. It can make you feel as if your efforts have been a failure when the truth is that they've been heroic. If you find yourself fluctuating between wanting to do more and not knowing if you can handle more, you're not alone.

Having a full understanding of autism doesn't mean knowing every elimination diet, nutritional supplement, medication, or developmental-behavioral approach ever developed. Having a full understanding means having a holistic framework to build a program that supports all aspects of health and behavior that are important for your child, based on their unique profile. It means knowing where new pieces of information fit and what to do with them, and it means becoming aware of all the people and places that can help your child flourish. With this understanding, you'll know you're doing the best for your child.

Autism Plus (+)

Autism is a single word, but not a single thing. Each autistic person is a unique individual with autistic characteristics that are unique, and each person may also have a unique set of co-occurring features (the plus in autism plus).

Today there is a mountain of information about autism. Researchers, doctors, therapists, public health officials, product manufacturers, service providers, advocacy organizations, parents, and autistic people themselves have strong views. As you might expect, they don't all agree on what autism is or how it should be approached. But they do agree that autism is multidimensional. As you begin to see a fuller picture of your child, you'll recognize that these dimensions aren't so much problems that need to be managed or fixed as they are opportunities to better understand and nurture your child and their magnificent mind.

Autistic Characteristics

Autistic characteristics are human characteristics that should be viewed as variations along a continuum of human traits, not as deficits or deficiencies. These characteristics fall into two categories:

(1) Differences in social communication and interaction, such as

a toddler who has no trouble hearing but doesn't respond when their name is called

a five-year-old who shows signs of enjoying toys and other activities but doesn't share that enjoyment with others (doesn't look at others or include others)

an eight-year-old who can talk at length about favorite topics but doesn't engage in back-and-forth conversation

a teenager or an adult who's unsure what others are thinking or feeling and may cope by avoiding social situations

(2) Differences in flexibility with thoughts, behaviors, activities, or sensory responses to the environment, such as

a toddler who lines up toys rather than playing with them in other ways

a four-year-old who frequently flips light switches on and off

a seven-year-old who seeks out certain sensations (such as certain smells or textures) but who covers their ears to avoid certain sounds

a ten-year-old who likes to arrange objects in a specific way and doesn't respond well to small changes in daily routines

a teenager or an adult who has a specific topic of intense focus that occupies much of their time, thought, and conversation with others

These are just some examples of autism's core characteristics. It's important to remember that autistic differences in social interaction and behavioral flexibility are unique to each person. No two people are the same, and characteristics can change quite a bit over time, so the autistic characteristics your child has today are likely to change as your child grows and develops.

Autistic characteristics also seem to differ between males and females. Some research studies have found autistic girls and women are more likely to

recognize when social interactions are expected

imitate others in social interactions

be described by others as "passive" or "shy"

show characteristics of perfectionism

have higher language abilities

have intense interests that involve people or animals rather than items or objects

What are your child's autistic characteristics? If your child has had an autism diagnostic evaluation, the results of that evaluation probably included a detailed description of these characteristics. But rather than relying on a professional's observations, try to focus on what you've noticed about your child.

Write down your own observations about

how your child communicates with others

how your child acts around others, including other children, adults, family members, and strangers

how your child responds when other people approach them

what your child prefers to do during free time

how your child responds to sensory information from the environment, like what they see, hear, smell, taste, or touch

Some of the things you've written down are likely to be features of autism, but others may not be. From my perspective, the distinction doesn't matter all that much. What's more important is that you're noticing your child's characteristics and that your overall understanding of your child is growing. Throughout this book I share information and exercises to help you do this because the knowledge you have of your child will empower you to support their development in exciting new directions.

Co-occurring Features

Anything that isn't captured in the two core categories of autistic features but that happens more frequently in autistic than in non-autistic people is considered a co-occurring feature of autism. Co-occurring features include a range of medical, developmental, behavioral, and mental health features.

Research in this area has blossomed in recent years. For...

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Verlag
TarcherPerigee
Erscheinungsdatum
2024
Sprache
Englisch
ISBN 10 
0593712714
ISBN 13 
9780593712719
Einband
Gebundene Ausgabe
Anzahl der Seiten
352
Kontakt zum Hersteller
Nicht verfügbar
Verantwortliche Person
Buchpark GmbH
gpsr@buchpark.de

Krügerweg 1
Trebbin
Brandenburg
14959
Deutschland

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