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Rating: 
Summary: Excellent source of current (1997) knowledge & treatment
Review: After reading several other books on autism, I recommend this one as an up-to-date summary. One source for current "medical" understanding of autism. Excellent overview and perspective on multiple treatment approaches. This is a super first or only book for genearl information on autism.
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Summary: A great navigator in the autism maze.
Review: As a parent, you immediately try to become an informed consumer regarding the needs of your child. Targeting Autism depletes the emotionalism and gives it's reader a good overview of the topic and current therapy. Targeting Autism is a good beginner book, a great navigator in the autism maze.
Rating: 
Summary: Very informative,
Review: First off, she defines autism in layman's terms and with first person testimonials. Secondly, she provides a life cycle view of autism, so that you have SOME idea of what the future might hold for your child. Third, she describes how families cope with autism, that some become driven, others fall apart, others adopt a "Holland" approach. Then she discusses treatments, including a solid analysis of educational approaches such as Lovaas (leans positive), mainstreaming, TEACH, DAP, etc... and non-traditional approaches, such as AIT, FC, etc... And she talks about recovery too, the controversy that very term raises. She closes this chapter with a quote that could have come straight out of my own heart: "A parent asked, What if my child remains autistic? What will we do? The best you can - with your love, your skills, and all the resources you can marshal - to help him achieve as independent and joyful a life as possible for him." Perhaps I love this book because so much of what she writes does articulate what I have felt as I've gone over the different options for my son's interventions. But also, her testimonials from a wide range of sources really help to illuminate autism as well. And finally, her book is very REASONED in tone. The only thing missing is a chapter that summarizes her thoughts about what she thinks parents should do. I mean really, most parents are reading these books for ADVICE! Even if parents eventually do something else, its always nice to have a plan laid out that you can either agree with or react against and develop your own. You won't find an action plan here, but the information provided should help you in making one of your own.
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Summary: Well Researched and Very Thoughtful Survey
Review: I wish this book were out a year ago when we first received our diagnosis. We sorted through dozens and dozens of books to get the information contained in this book. It is well written and well organized. A very good place to begin when considering what help to seek for your child. What Cohen does not give you is a sense of how incredibly difficult it is to set up or get on the waiting list for many of these treatment options. You get the diagnosis, then they usher you out the door suggesting you call a program or two listed on a badly xeroxed handout. When you call, you are likely to deal with some sullen graduate student who grudgingly answers questions and then tells you the waiting list is 18 months, and that they don't except children under three (though EVERYONE tells you that early intervention is key.) And as you are considering what might work to help your child, you discover you are in the middle of a pissing match between the followers of Doctor I'm-Important and Dr. I'm-God. They call each other charlatans and evildoers, and you as a parent are left adrift, wondering who to trust. I'd have liked a bit more of that perspective in the book. It's that perspective--even more than the story of recovery--which made Catherine Maurice's book ("Let Me Hear Your Voice") so powerful for me. She seemed to be living our lives. Cohen goes out of her way to undercut Maurice as perhaps too-good-to-be-true, but she admits that there aren't many other approaches that seem to have the effectiveness of the intensive in-home behavioral approach. We're open to what will help our child. And this book is a good way to find out what's out there right now. Despite my reservations, I recommend the book highly.
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Summary: THE BEST OVERALL GUDIE
Review: I WORK WITH AUTSTIC KIDS SO I READ THIS BOOK TO UPDATE MYSELF.IT WAS GREAT IIT PROVIDE GREAT EXAMPLES FORM OTHER BOOKS. AND IT GAVE EVIDANCE THAT SOME OF THE CURES MIGHT WORK FORM SOME. ALSO IT PROVIDE GOOD INFO ON ASPEGERS YNDROME MOST OF THE BOOKS JUST GIVE IT A PPAARGPAPH.
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Summary: Partners In Autisms Educational Pick
Review: Targeting Autism is an excellent book for those new to Autism. Families and teachers should especially appreciate the analysis and overview of the various educational interventions, from one-on-one methods, to group programs used in many preschool and school situations. The book lists many available resources and spotlights inspiring new advances in research creating an overall atmosphere of hope and possibility for the prospects of more universally effective treatments and eventual cure of this devastating developmental disorder. Since the symptoms and manifestations of Autistic Spectrum Disorders vary in incidence and severity, those who read this book should not be unduly encouraged or discouraged by the often times conflicting reports of success and/or failure of the various treatments and interventions discussed, but rather use the information given to further investigate the possibilities of each treatment or intervention on an individual or case by case basis.
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Summary: Very informative,
Review: Very easy to read in layman's terms. As the mother of a four year old with PDD, I would suggest this book as a great book to start off with if your child was diagnosed with autism or pdd. It touches on a lot of areas ABA, schooling etc. without getting to technical. It also has statements and examples made by adults with autism/pdd which I found very interesting.
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Summary: It REALLY is an overview.
Review: Why it should be so hard to find a book that thoughtfully discusses the myriad of autism treatments, I don't know. As a parent of a child diagnosed last year at age three, I appreciate this book. Thank you Shirley Cohen for writing it. Thank you Amazon, for making it so easy to find.
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