Book Review: The Conscious Parent's Guide to Autism

Book Cover

Welcome back to yet another book review.  As I have mentioned before, R's diagnosis has caused an influx of information gathering.  This is the second book on ASD that I will be reviewing, and do expect a few more reviews as the days pass, as I do have three more Autism books on my "to-read" list.

And to quote from my previous review, "let me state that I did not get this book for free. My husband and I bought it while we were at the Manila International Book Fair 2017. So I hope that will put some thoughts of bias to rest.

Also, as a disclaimer of sorts, I will state that all that will be written from here on are my personal opinions and are not, in any way, meant to be taken as gospel truth or medical advice. I am not a medical practitioner or a child developmental expert. I am just a former teacher, a simple mother, a possibly autistic woman with a child who has autism."

Hope that's clear.  Now on to the review!

The best way I can describe this book is this.  If I consider Raising a Sensory Smart Child by Lindsay Biel and Nancy Peske as the best first book one with an SPD child or diagnosis can read, then I call this book the equivalent for parents who have a child recently diagnosed with ASD.

At first, the table of contents might shock as it has seventeen chapters, but they're quite short, well and clearly written, in language that the average person could understand.  I found this to be a very easy read.  Marci Lebowitz has put together a very helpful, practical book for parents seeking to find explanations as to what ASD is, and how to deal with everyday concerns that come with the diagnosis.

She dedicates specific chapters to symptoms, co-morbid conditions such as SPD and ADHD, for starters, even a chapter on how Mom and Dad process an ASD diagnosis differently.  There are chapters for single parents, grandparents and extended family, how to navigate doing everyday things like shopping and eating out with a child on the spectrum.

Lebowitz also maps out schooling for the ASD child, and the specialists that she recommends to put in what she calls a team for said child.

She also explores very briefly on some very controversial topics, like whether or not vaccines cause autism, how diets affect symptoms, even some alternative treatments like Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HOT).  She doesn't go all out and expresses her opinion on these, just that she encourages parents to do their research, consult with their specific medical professionals, and make their own decisions that they feel are best for the child.

To summarize, I would highly recommend this book as the first read for a parent of a child who's just been diagnosed with ASD.  Very informative and brimming with practical tips, I rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.