Stella Waterhouse takes as the basis for her fresh and positive book the writings of people with autism. Only by reading these, she argues, can practitioners approach an understanding of what it means to be autistic; and only by appreciating how people with autism experience the world can parents or professionals begin to help them. In this volume, Waterhouse investigates the autistic perception on the world, and defines what autism is in terms of causes, symptoms and behaviours, including a thorough explanation of theories on brain structure. She discusses disorders which may be present alongside autism - allergies, ADHD, OCD and Tourette Syndrome, amongst others. As well as describing medical treatments, Waterhouse examines how the more distressing symptoms of autism can be dealt with through diet, homeopathy, play therapy and other alternative treatments. This is a practical and sympathetic book, which should be read by all those whose children are diagnozed with autism.
