Summary

Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the United States, increasing at an annual rate of 10-17 percent. The cost of lifelong care, currently $60 billion annually and estimated to be $200-$400 billion in ten years, can be reduced by two-thirds with early diagnosis and intervention. Evidence of autism typically emerges when a child is around eighteen months, yet most children are not diagnosed until they are much older. Parents of autistic children are usually the first people to notice the first developmental delay in their child but may come across roadblocks to getting their child quickly and properly diagnosed. Many parents are in denial or unsupported by their health care providers. This can leave them feeling overwhelmed, confused, powerless, and helpless.

In Step Ahead of Autism , author Anne Moore Burnett uses the true story of her son Joey, who was diagnosed with severe autism at age three and is now a successful college student, to advocate for making early diagnosis and intervention the primary goals of every parent, pediatrician, educator, and caregiver. Burnett explains how to ensure early diagnosis and intervention and empowers parents by addressing their need to be validated and guided so they feel confident in the decisions they make for their autistic or potentially autistic child. Perhaps most important, readers of Step Ahead of Autism will learn how to transform themselves-their intentions, beliefs, attitudes, and reactions-so that they have more power over how their child does than they ever imagined possible.

Step Ahead of Autism provides readers with step-by-step, attainable, parent-tested exercises, techniques, and tips on how to step up to the challenge and become the parents they need to be to guide their child to a positive outcome. It's the first book on autism to focus on the attributes every parent needs to develop and nurture in themselves in order to ensure a positive long-term results for their child. A foreword by T. Berry Brazelton, MD, best-selling author and professor of pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, notes that the book can "inspire and empower parents of autistic children by teaching them how to make sound decisions for, and about, their child."