Rating: 
Summary: Extremely Useful for Parents and Psychotherapists
Review: As a psychotherapist, I found reading the case studies extremely enlightening. First, because they clearly demonstrate how some autists think. Even more importantly, the cases provide many concrete examples of how a therapist can respond to these children, and also includes the children's precise responses, which show how and when these kinds of responses can be fruitful for them. These case studies are very valuable lessons for child psychotherapists, both beginning and advanced. As a person who has taught and supervised clinicians, these case studies offer very useful demonstrations of a master child therapist at work. This is the best case study material since "The story of Dibbs" in the 70s. What makes it tremendously informative is the way she was able to note, recall, and reproduce the exact sequences of her interactions with clarity. I agree with Dr. John Frattaroli's statement that this work demonstrates the optimal therapeutic attitude toward all clients, as well as to those who have autistism or Asperger's. It seemed to me that the advice to parents was very precise, thoughtful and useful. It could also be useful to professionals as a model for what parents most need to know. The final chapter, the Vision for the future, places this book in the realm of inspiring humanist psychologists such as Robert Coles. These humanist-psychologists are fully knowledgeable of the field, while at the same time they offer a larger humanistic and humanitarian perspective. Zelan's vision of an attitude toward autistic people is an example of the ideal humanistic use of psychological knowledge.
Rating:
Summary: Many of us know an autist ...very helpful and hopeful book
Review: Between their World and Ours, by Karen Zelan, reads almost like a novel. One becomes quickly engaged with the children whose stories Zelan uses to "show" rather than "tell" the reader about enjoying, helping and teaching young people on the autistic spectrum. Given the statistics, (one in 150 children under ten may have autistic spectrum disorders) many people know someone with this syndrome. Schools are enrolling them in classrooms, teachers are finding ways to adapt their curricula so these children can be successful learners. Between Their World and Ours gives encouragement, hope, and helpful ideas. Teachers and parents will find acknowledgement of their own good problem solving. In addition, Zelan's book will be helpful to neighbors, aunts, uncles, and friends of these children. Experts will benefit as well from the practicality, and care Zelan uses in her work. Like the many types of minds that we encounter, the autistic mind has much to offer. It requires little except quiet attention and patience to gain the trust and interest of many of these interesting kids. As with any child, it is important to LIKE them. Liking them, liking any child comes with knowing them. Unlike many authors, Zelan recognizes and rejoices in the feelings these children display. Zelan shows the reader how to attend carefully to the child so that s/he can discover the feelings of the autist s/he knows. And, more importantly, so the child can join our feeling world safely. Our knowledge of aspergers and autistic children is enhanced by the kind of book Zelan has written. It presents a range of children with very different personalities, responses, and gifts, showing common ways of reaching them as well as the variations useful in connecting with their differing needs. There are suggestions throughout the book, but also a chapter devoted entirely to specific strategies. Zelan gives benchmarks without creating a defined road map because every child is his own person. No "cure" has been discovered for this syndrome. Maybe this is a good thing. In the books mothers' have written about their own autists, it is obvious that they love and enjoy their chidren. Do we want to "cure" them or just learn enough to enjoy them and give them the requisite skills to navigate the world? I have no definite answers, but for now, I am happy to read of Zelan's success, of the children's success, and hope that parents, teachers, neighbors, friends, and experts will enjoy all the children they encounter.
Rating:
Summary: Many of us know an autist ...very helpful and hopeful book
Review: Between their World and Ours, by Karen Zelan, reads almost like a novel. One becomes quickly engaged with the children whose stories Zelan uses to "show" rather than "tell" the reader about enjoying, helping and teaching young people on the autistic spectrum. Given the statistics, (one in 150 children under ten may have autistic spectrum disorders) many people know someone with this syndrome. Schools are enrolling them in classrooms, teachers are finding ways to adapt their curricula so these children can be successful learners. Between Their World and Ours gives encouragement, hope, and helpful ideas. Teachers and parents will find acknowledgement of their own good problem solving. In addition, Zelan's book will be helpful to neighbors, aunts, uncles, and friends of these children. Experts will benefit as well from the practicality, and care Zelan uses in her work. Like the many types of minds that we encounter, the autistic mind has much to offer. It requires little except quiet attention and patience to gain the trust and interest of many of these interesting kids. As with any child, it is important to LIKE them. Liking them, liking any child comes with knowing them. Unlike many authors, Zelan recognizes and rejoices in the feelings these children display. Zelan shows the reader how to attend carefully to the child so that s/he can discover the feelings of the autist s/he knows. And, more importantly, so the child can join our feeling world safely. Our knowledge of aspergers and autistic children is enhanced by the kind of book Zelan has written. It presents a range of children with very different personalities, responses, and gifts, showing common ways of reaching them as well as the variations useful in connecting with their differing needs. There are suggestions throughout the book, but also a chapter devoted entirely to specific strategies. Zelan gives benchmarks without creating a defined road map because every child is his own person. No "cure" has been discovered for this syndrome. Maybe this is a good thing. In the books mothers' have written about their own autists, it is obvious that they love and enjoy their chidren. Do we want to "cure" them or just learn enough to enjoy them and give them the requisite skills to navigate the world? I have no definite answers, but for now, I am happy to read of Zelan's success, of the children's success, and hope that parents, teachers, neighbors, friends, and experts will enjoy all the children they encounter.
Rating: 
Summary: What about this author's background, does it matter?
Review: Great! Karen Zelan writes a sensitive book about working with autistic children. Here's my rage and despair about this book. Zelan worked for years with Bruno Bettelheim. She co-authored books with him. And she witnessed his terrible abuse against mentally ill children at the Orthogenic School where she once worked. Many of the autistic children she knew lived at this school. Why did Zelan not report any of this abuse?
Because of her silence and the silence of many others, young children, teens and young adults were constantly beaten and shamed in Bettelheim's "House of Horrors" for over 30 years. And children were beaten with fists and belts, smacked repeatedly in the face and told horrible things. It was all common knowledge if you worked there. So Karen Zelan cannot say she knew nothing of such things.
Read books like Richard Pollak's, "The Creation of Dr. B." or Stephen Eliot's, "Not the Thing I Was" or Jacqui Sanders' chapter on discipline in "A Greenhouse of the Mind", if you just can't believe it.
Why should Zelan be allowed to benefit from writing this book about love and acceptance of autistic childen when she 1)did nothing to stop the abuse against autistic as well as mentally ill and traumatized children while she witnessed it and 2) has done nothing to make amends for her silence by now speaking out about the abuse and the legacy of silence.
How can she even live with such hypocrisy in her soul.
Because of her silence and the silence of others, I was beaten and shamed for being confused and terrified. And I resent the hypocrisy of her being the sensitive autism guru when she seems to have had no problem watching disturbed children get beaten.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Great Book - according to me - an Autist
Review: I am adult. I have Asperger's syndrome, which is a form of autism. I am the mother of an adult child with a form of autism. In my opinion this may be the BEST book about autism written to date, and that includes books written by other autistics. I want to thank Dr. Zelan so much for this book.
She dismantles the highly touted,"Sally-Ann" test, which is supposed to show a lack of "theory of mind". Finally someone has fresh thinking in this area! There is no "cure" for autism.
Dr. Zelan very plainly makes that case and shows how to help autistic children of all levels of ability and communicativeness to reach their potential, with a heavy emphasis on love and respect and patience.
Love and respect, themes lacking in many therapies aimed at attempting to force autistic children into "normal" molds.
If you only want one book about autism right now, start with this one, _Between Their World and Ours_.
I also like Dr. Sally Ozonoff's book, "A parent's guide to..." and "A Positive Approach to Autism" by Stella Waterhouse.
I hope that Dr. Zelan will have another book of this quality soon, and I hope that her voice becomes very important in the autism treatment community.
I also recommend that anyone interested in autism seek out the voices of adult autistics on various internet sites. Some of the best information isn't actually in books it's on the web.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Useful for Parents and Psychotherapists
Review: I have Asperger's syndrome and I am the mother of 3 beautiful children, They have my blue eyes and my fair skin and 2 happen to have autism. They are not struggling, they are not agonizing and if you don't stop stereotyping autism in this way you will continue to look like the moron that people in the field consider you to be.
IF YOU ARE THE PARENT OF A CHILD RECENTLY DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM DO NOT WASTE MONEY ON THIS BOOK!! It's really a bunch of silliness from people who actually believe they know anything about autism at all. To say that an autistic child cannot show emotion, come to my house, let me put that lie to rest. It's different, to be sure, but it is there. Such a woman would say that as a parent, I am in denial, but since I also have Aspergers which is a cousin and a hairbredth away from autism I think I know of which I speak. We are not all the same, much as no two typically developing people are the same. To follow the beliefs of this author would be akin to following the beliefs of racism. I cannot believe that I wasted money on a book which spouts such self-aggrandizing stupidity. Karen, Go read some Skinner, Jung does not help with autism, nor does Freud. Verbal behavior is the key, the joy the rapture and the key to navigation. We are NOT seeking a cure. WE DON'T NEED A CURE we simply need to teach the children to navigate in this world.
There are so many positive helpful books out there. Please don't waste your money here.
Rating: 
Summary: Oh Puh-leese
Review: I have Asperger's syndrome and I am the mother of 3 beautiful children, They have my blue eyes and my fair skin and 2 happen to have autism. They are not struggling, they are not agonizing and if you don't stop stereotyping autism in this way you will continue to look like the moron that people in the field consider you to be.
IF YOU ARE THE PARENT OF A CHILD RECENTLY DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM DO NOT WASTE MONEY ON THIS BOOK!! It's really a bunch of silliness from people who actually believe they know anything about autism at all. To say that an autistic child cannot show emotion, come to my house, let me put that lie to rest. It's different, to be sure, but it is there. Such a woman would say that as a parent, I am in denial, but since I also have Aspergers which is a cousin and a hairbredth away from autism I think I know of which I speak. We are not all the same, much as no two typically developing people are the same. To follow the beliefs of this author would be akin to following the beliefs of racism. I cannot believe that I wasted money on a book which spouts such self-aggrandizing stupidity. Karen, Go read some Skinner, Jung does not help with autism, nor does Freud. Verbal behavior is the key, the joy the rapture and the key to navigation. We are NOT seeking a cure. WE DON'T NEED A CURE we simply need to teach the children to navigate in this world.
There are so many positive helpful books out there. Please don't waste your money here.
Rating:
Summary: Riveting, Inspiring, Stimulating
Review: I recommend this book to all readers, not just parents, therapists, teachers, interested in autism. Here are a few observations: --The experiences of her treatment of autistic children ranging from highest to lowest functioning are riveting and beautifully written.
--Her book covers important issues regarding the treatment and diagnosis of autism that have not been addressed in other books and programs on autism e.g., relations of therapists and parents, successful and unsuccessful school experiences.
--This book, above all others I have read or heard discussed, gives us a dramatic window into the feelings and amazing SOCIAL and EMOTIONAL awareness of autistic children who, Zelan notes, are often incorrectly judged incapable of such insight by many so called "experts". She also shows how understanding the views shared with her by many autistic children can make a difference in their having positive social experiences.
--She engages not just the powerful feelings and awareness of autists, she describes the larger world of feelings and interactions of and with parents, teachers, family and friends of autistic children.
--She describes and critiques theories of the mind imposed on autistic and other developmentally disabled children; this critique heightens awareness for everyone to the subtle but
damaging ways some "experts" can hinder hope and progress for people who don't fit "normal" behavior patterns.
--Her book offers insights into more than the real life experiences of autism for children, parents, teachers,therapists and the general population; it also is the best book I have ever read to give a vivid, concrete description of the psychotherapeutic relationship and what a difference it can make in all our lives, and especially for autistic children.
--Her chapter directed to parents reads like a letter and is full of empathetic and practical advice that can be of value to all parents and especially parents of autistic children. Hher book if full of realistic and tempered hope with concrete information on how to get good help. She doesn't talk about cures, but breakthroughs in communicating and understanding for autists, therapist, parents, teachers and friends of autists. After reading this book, I felt enriched and wanted to share it with others. I have given it to friends who are mothers, herapists, learning specialists. Note on the jacket that famous autistic authors have read the book and attest to its accurate and vivid description of the autistic experience. There are many others, both autists and professionals in the field, who have expressed their enthusiasm for this book. I recommend this book with unqualified confidence and enthusiasm. This book makes us all wish we could have the benefit of such an articulate master therapist.
Rating:
Summary: An author that redeems the profession...
Review: I was thrilled to see Karen Zelan's book and to read about her impressive stories of learning to reach into the rare worlds of autistic people. As an autistic person myself, I know how difficult it is for people who do not see the world as we do to find points of connection. It takes patience, love, and, most importantly, a willingness to let go of one's preconceptions -- a skill difficult to find in people on either side of the Autism Spectrum. Her triumphs have inspired even me to find new ways of relating to autistic and non-autistic people as a result of her citing practical suggestions, mesmerizing anecdotes, and poignant, universally human moments.
Though Karen has been around long enough to have worked with Bruno Bettelheim and to have seen the worst of the "therapeutic" approaches to autism, she has found a way to emerge from a system she knew wasn't working. It is testament to the her ability to see all things anew that she abandoned dubious strategies for "curing" autistics and began to really listen to us. I congratulate her for bringing her profession out of the Dark Ages.
I found Zelan's book a captivating read. Even if one isn't interested in autism this one is hard to put down, because it speaks so thoroughly to the human condition. Read it.
Rating:
Summary: Indispensable!
Review: In this inspiring book, Zelan educates us about autism with remarkable empathy, experience, and sensitivity. Zelan encourages those working and living with autists to view their relationships with autists as reciprocal: as a young autist perceives her advocate adapting to the autist's world and methods of communication, so too will the autist perceive the benefits of adapting to our world. She also recognizes how difficult this task is, both emotionally and practically, and offers her readers specific advice on how to assist autists at home and at school. Zelan's writing is entirely accessible to parents, teachers, students, or anyone who would simply like to educate themselves about autism. An excellent book!
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