Rating: 
Summary: This book is not the one for you
Review: I bought this book when my son was diagnosed. It made me think of him as someone without much potential, and delayed my getting real help for him. The problem is that she follows autism as a psychological disorder, when in fact it's a biological/immune system/toxics disorder, and most MDs and medical and other professionals are ill-informed about the latest research. Get Karen Seroussi's book, get on parent listservs, they know much more than this book, which is really outdated. Find out about getting the toxins out of your child's system.
The MD who defends the book in one review are the types of professionals who categorize autistic children, and wants to inform people based on "faulty" science (after all, the very fact that we tell ourselves that our child only has a certain capacity makes it almost a foregone conclusion) that they should be realistic. My son had vaccine damage from the medical profession that assured me know harm would come to him, and he is improving after getting that out of his system. My doctor now believes that 10 years from now autism autism will be defined as "toxic encephalopathy". So not all docs fall into his category (and this doc just got a $20 million grant from the CDC, so he's not fringe anymore!)
Rating: 
Summary: Great explanation of autism/PDD for family & professionals
Review: I found this book deals with more than just autism. It also spends a great deal of time on PDD. This book walks you through the prospect of Autism/PDD from the initial diagnosis through treatment. As the father of two children with PDD,I found that the information this book offers is very well laid out. Now when friends and professionals ask for or offer more information on PDD, I can truly understand what is being discussed. Many time while reading this book I could feel that my situation was being used as an example. A must have for anyone experiencing raising a chid with Autism/PDD>
Rating:
Summary: Read something more useful
Review: I found this book to be straight-forward and easy to read. Unlike other books about autism, The World of the Autistic Child does not guarantee any instant cures. This book explains to parents that autism is a tough battle, but a battle worth fighting. Before reading or listening to people who claim that their child has improved with diets, drugs or other forms of intervention, read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Does your child have autism? Read this book now!
Review: I found this book to be straight-forward and easy to read. Unlike other books about autism, The World of the Autistic Child does not guarantee any instant cures. This book explains to parents that autism is a tough battle, but a battle worth fighting. Before reading or listening to people who claim that their child has improved with diets, drugs or other forms of intervention, read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: I would still buy this book.
Review: I have read the paperback version of this book. I found the descriptions of autism, pdd & other autistic spectrum disorders a little confusing - I do not have a Phd in Psychiatry or Psychology and at some points felt like I needed one to understand the terminology, charts, etc. I also found the separation of autism & pdd to be confusing. I was also suprised to learn that most autistic children are also mentally retarded (I have seen no evidence of this with my son). The author seems to be against mainstreaming autistic children, as with all autistic children, the decision should be made on an individual basis & what is best for the child. I did find the chapters on teaching extremely helpful and the author does give parents info on how to get a diagnosis & where to go from there - I wish I'd had that 2 yrs ago. Anyway, I think this would be a very good book for parents of newly diagnosed autistic/pdd children or parents who feel their child may be autistic/pdd but need more info.
Rating:
Summary: I would still buy this book.
Review: I have read the paperback version of this book. I found the descriptions of autism, pdd & other autistic spectrum disorders a little confusing - I do not have a Phd in Psychiatry or Psychology and at some points felt like I needed one to understand the terminology, charts, etc. I also found the separation of autism & pdd to be confusing. I was also suprised to learn that most autistic children are also mentally retarded (I have seen no evidence of this with my son). The author seems to be against mainstreaming autistic children, as with all autistic children, the decision should be made on an individual basis & what is best for the child. I did find the chapters on teaching extremely helpful and the author does give parents info on how to get a diagnosis & where to go from there - I wish I'd had that 2 yrs ago. Anyway, I think this would be a very good book for parents of newly diagnosed autistic/pdd children or parents who feel their child may be autistic/pdd but need more info.
Rating:
Summary: Not a fan
Review: I know not every book works for everyone, but this book left me cold and hopeless after I read it.
There are so many other books to read on autism to help a child - this is not one of them.
Try: Let Me Hear Your Voice, Unraveling the Mystery of Autism, Biological Treatments to Autism & PDD. These book titles will provide you hope, advice and direction.
Rating:
Summary: It is easy to read and really understands autism
Review: I read this book as part of a class in my graduate studies. I found this book very easy to read and understandable. The author does not use words that are confusing to a person who is not in the autism field. She explains simple steps to help you help your autistic children. I believe, people are not necessarly looking for the definition of autism but how to help the a child with autism. This book accomplishes this. I am special education teacher who teaches children who are autistic. I would reccommend this book to anyone who needs to know WHAT TO DO with their autistic children.
Rating:
Summary: Read something more useful
Review: I suggest that if you really want to understand "the world of the autistic child", you should buy Dr. Stanley Greenspan's book The Child With Special Needs, which is mostly about autism. More than helping you understand autism in a way vastly contradicting the dismal "science" applied by Ms. Siegel, he will give you practical advice that will make you understand your child's world. Dr. Greenspan has been actually working with autistic children for 20 years, yet he doesn't see them in the cookie-cutter fashion that Siegel does. I'll never forget trying to fit my son into her vacuum cleaner story when he was first diagnosed. He fit none of her examples, so I just categorized him into the closest, and it was a farce, as I now recognized. But at the time, it was such a bummer. So yes, I am angry at the time that this book helped me to waste, trying to see where he "fit."Then after you've read Greenspan, go get some competent biomedical intervention. My doctor describes autism as "toxic encephalopathy." Certainly the other MD who reviewed the book would deride that kind of biomedical definition, because it implies you can do something about the disorder. But in fact, this doc just got a $20 million dollar grand from the CDC, so this view isn't so fringe anymore.
Rating:
Summary: A Book That Will Really Help You
Review: Outstanding first stop for anyone who suspects his or her child has autism or PDD, or who has just received a diagnosis. Helps you understand the range of different profiles children on this spectrum have and their differences from typically developing children. Balanced discussion of the multiple issues any parent needs to consider. If you haven't already, you will soon discover that the treatment community is highly polarized and everyone has a bias. You need information to help you sort out what you read and hear elsewhere. This book delivers.
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