With a 300 percent increase in the incidence of autism and autism spectrum disorders and 1 in 150 children being diagnosed with the disability, autism is now an epidemic. Fortunately, there have been huge advances in our ability to diagnose the disability at younger ages and in the development of effective interventions that can change children?s lives. In Overcoming Autism, Lynn Kern Koegel, Ph.D., one of the most well-known and highly respected experts on treating autism, shares her professional advice while coauthor Claire LaZebnik, a professional writer whose son has autism, provides insight into the daily life of parents coping with autism. It?s a difficult disability to live with, but it doesn?t have to devastate a family. In this book, Koegel and LaZebnik offer concrete ways to immediately begin improving the symptoms of autism and the emotional life of anyone coping with the disorder. Providing a complete program of strategies that can be tailored to any child?s specific needs, this is a must-read, must-own book that offers hope through practical solutions which are warm, nurturing, and designed to fit into a family?s daily life. The writers never lose sight of the humor that lurks in the quirkiness of the disability or the importance of enjoying and loving your child.

Lynn Kern Koegel is one of the world-'s foremost experts on the treatment of autism. She and her husband, Robert L. Koegel, Ph.D., founded the renowned Autism Research Center at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Californian, Santa Barbara. She lives in Santa Barbara, California.
Claire LaZebnik is a published novelist and magazine writer.-á She lives with her husband and four children in Pacific Palisades, California.

Introduction There are few things in life scarier than having a child diagnosed with any kind of special need, and autism is one of the scariest disabilities, because the diagnosis tells you nothing about a child?s prognosis. No one can honestly say to you, ?We know exactly what your child will be like when he?s twenty.?People will, however, feel free to comment on the diagnosis in every way, most of them unhelpful. You?ll hear things like ?They?re crazy, he?s just a late talker,? ?My cousin?s brother?s kid had autism, and they changed his diet and he was cured,? and ?Oh, my god, are you going to put him in an institution?? You?ll start reading articles and combing the Internet for helpful information, and you?ll find that there are a lot of conflicting opinions out there?some people swear by certain approaches, others by completely different ones, and some even believe a kid with autism should just be left alone, since ?he?ll be whatever he?s going to be, and nothing you do will make any difference.? Now, that?s where they?re wrong. So wrong it?s mind-boggling. Everything you do will make a difference. There?s a lot you can do for your child, more than you may be aware of right now. That?s why we wrote this book?to show you how intelligent, well-planned early interventions based on years of field research can improve the symptoms of autism enormously, often to the point where many or all of the symptoms of autism might be said to have been ?overcome.? Some children with autism become indistinguishable from their peers. Does that sound miraculous to you? It?s not. There are no miracles. It would be nice if a nonverbal kid suddenly started talking in sentences, if a self-injurious kid suddenly decided he preferred playing the piano to hitting himself in the head, and if a withdrawn boy suddenly realized that it?s fun to play with other kids. Of course, none of that?s simply going to happen. Well, not suddenly, anyway. The good news, though, is that if you remove ?suddenly? from the previous paragraph, it?s a completely different story, because we have seen all these things happen. They just didn?t happen suddenly or out of the blue?they were the result of hard work, a well- planned schedule of interventions, and a consistency of approach stretching from the family to the school to all therapies and clinical work. It Takes Hard WorkThere are no miracle cures in autism, just a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. As of yet, there are no pills, shots, diets, or any other ?quick fixes? that cure autism completely and across the board. To date, there are no medications that can make broad and widespread improvements in children with autism. Further, many medications can have serious and harmful long-term effects on young children. However, there are well-researched, time- proven procedures that can make a difference?excellent behavioral interventions that allow families and professionals systematically to reduce or eliminate each undesirable symptom and improve each area of need. If your child was just diagnosed, you might need some time to get used to the idea. (See chapter 1, ?Diagnosis: Surviving the Worst News You?ll Ever Get.?) Take a few days. Cry, moan, scream, bitch, blame your spouse?s family?do whatever you need to for a little while. A very little while. Then roll up your sleeves and get to work. Your child needs you to help him get better. How to Use This BookWe wrote this book because we wanted to get the message across that with the right interventions, you can improve a child?s prognosis enormously. In these pages, we offer both a general understanding of how to tackle the symptoms of autism in someone you know and a description of the specific interventions you?ll need to do so. It?s a starting point and a way of unifying your approach across the board. It is not a replacement for finding talented and dedicated cli