Book Review - Cipani's Children and Autism motivates

Children and Autism:  stories of triumph and hope. 

Ennio Cipani, 2011.  New York:  Demos Medical Publishing.  169 pages.

This book is a compilation of stories of children with autism who have achieved best outcomes.  The stories are told by ABA practitioners (with the exception of one who is both a practitioner and a parent).  While not as detailed in narrative form as is Catherine Maurice’s “Let me hear your voice” it is a collaborative testimonial of the possibilities achieved through intensive ABA with children who for the most part presented with significant deficits and autistic traits.

Each child’s profile is described in detail.  Each child had a program tailored to his or her needs and the family’s wishes.  All programs were intensive and most were carried out in the home (but some did occur in specialized schools or ABA centres).  Many of the children went to school and their diagnosis of autism was never disclosed let alone suspected.  These case studies truly underscore the importance of early and intensive ABA intervention.

The professionals who worked on each case study used a chronological map to indicate what was occurring when (for instance, when they introduced generalization, when they worked on theory of mind skills).  With some programs the professional offers some detail as to how a particular skill was taught.

One of the main points I took away from this book was the importance of joint attention.  Each professional targeted this important domain.  Some even shared ideas (actual descriptions of programs) they used to achieve joint attention.  The author also devotes a chapter to joint attention, its importance and a few suggestions for activities.

I enjoyed reading the book because there were seven different children who received treatment from different practitioners and in the end, they all achieved best outcomes.  I love knowing that success [in terms of best outcomes] is attainable and possible for children with autism.  From a parent’s perspective, I found this book quite motivating:  it encourages parents to take autism by the horns and run an intensive program with parental involvement.

Debbie