There are more than half a million Americans under the age of twenty-one who are autistic. In the 1960s only one in 2,500 children was diagnosed as autistic, now it is one in 150. Autism has a wide range of intensity, which is why it is called Spectrum. A person can have some or all of the various aspects of autism.

Asperger syndrome is sometimes called high-functioning autism, because these people often have superior mental abilities or skills, far beyond any normal person, but only in certain areas, such as mathematics. While they may have incredible ability with math, they may have trouble crossing a street or using a knife and fork at the same time.

Some people on the spectrum have made wonderful advances in science, medicine, computers, due to their amazing mental abilities. Not everyone at the Spectrum is a brilliant scientist, but many of the great innovators have been people on the autism spectrum.

You may not have an autistic child or teenager, but I think you might still find this book interesting. The next time you meet someone on the spectrum, you will have a better understanding of their difficulties. You will be more empathetic to others in society, whether you know the name of their condition or not.

Growing Up on the Spectrum is about helping children find ways to cope with their disabilities. These children and adolescents need extraordinary assistance to overcome their deficiencies. The most significant problem is in the area of ​​communication. Spectrum kids don’t know how to make small talk, they don’t know when it’s their turn to speak, they don’t know when to stop talking, they don’t know how not to bore their audience with endless talks about their own obsessions, they don’t even know how to look at the person they are talking to. These problems, just a few of the many, become roadblocks on your way to adulthood.

Parents see little hope that their children will become independent adults who find a career, marry, and have children. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Many teens on the spectrum learn to cope with their problems, but they need to be taught, encouraged, and helped. And this book opens the way.

The information needed to help them is starting to flow with books like this one. The authors are Claire, along with her teenage son who is on the spectrum, and Dr. Koegel. Together they have devised practical strategies to teach and encourage those on the spectrum to overcome their difficulties to the point where they can have a partner, go to college, get a job and have a family.

We know that these tasks are not easy for anyone! But for someone on the spectrum they are ten times more difficult. College is often very difficult for them, because they have trouble finding their classes, taking notes while listening to a lecture (that is, doing two things at the same time). For someone on the spectrum, organizing their time, prioritizing their studies, dressing appropriately, maintaining hygiene, and learning to communicate with their peers is hard work.

Those on the autism spectrum often have a higher than normal IQ. Their problem comes from that they can only focus on one thing at a time and sometimes it is the wrong thing to do. Perhaps when they try to cross a busy street, they are reading the license plates of each car, not just reading, perhaps memorizing them or making up reverse acronyms. They have a hard time seeing the big picture, absorbing the details. Their sense of smell, hearing, and touch are often more sensitive than normal, which is why things like flickering fluorescent lights cause them confusion.

Growing up on the spectrum is easy to read, easy to understand, introduces the issues children on the spectrum have, and provides ways to overcome these issues, especially for teens going to high school, college, or starting a career.

What I like about this book is the way you get three points of view, the mother of an autistic adolescent, the point of view of the adolescent, and the professional point of view of the medical specialist. Added together, you get a good picture of the problem and the particular solution.

Claire says:

“If you are afraid of the carpool because your child is having trouble making a proper conversation, try to endure it by remembering that it is your opportunity to learn ways to help him. Pay attention to what your child’s classmates are talking about, how they initiate the conversation. , what kinds of questions do they ask, etc., and then work on those areas with your own child, I suggest that you start working on them at home (preparation) first and then make suggestions just before picking up your classmates. .. “