The legacy of autism and how to think smarter about people who think differently
The international bestselling history of autism. NeuroTribes up-ends conventional thinking about autism and suggests a broader model for acceptance, understanding, and full participation in society for people who think differently.
Steve Silberman is an award-winning investigative reporter and has covered science and cultural affairs for Wired and other national magazines for more than twenty years. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, TIME, Nature and Salon.
Unlike most of the books I review, this is a professional text that delves into the world of the autistic child, going back to the earliest research trying to offer solutions and suggesting ways in which we can give those on the spectrum access to the resources and support they need so like the rest of us, they have the best opportunity to live their best life. Using the stories of those affected and their families Silberman gives greater insight not just into those with the condition but all those who think and learn differently. Even though we have come a long way, there is still a long road ahead
It is quite an intense book, more for the person who wants to understand autism more thoroughly than those just wanting an overview, but Silberman is driven by his belief that all of us, despite our differences, deserve respect, dignity, access to appropriate education and workplace experiences and self-determination. Nevertheless, because schools are now required to make all reasonable adjustments for such children under the Disability Standards for Education legislation (https://education.gov.au/disability-standards-education), the more we know about the needs of our autistic children the better. It is not enough for the specialist teacher to know – because the goal is integration wherever possible, we all have to have a better understanding.
Barbara Braxton, Teacher Librarian, NSW