This review of Engaging Autism is written for any person interested in autism. Its main intent, however, is to speak directly to a parent (caregiver) who may be dealing with a child with the disorder. In this review, I refer to a child with the disability as “her” and “daughter.” Early in the book's chapters, authors Greenspan and Wieder warn that the presence of one symptom should never lead to a diagnosis of autism. Engaging Autism lists these three problem areas as indicative of the disorder.
- The first problem you may notice is your child’s inability to establish closeness and affection when relating to you and others. You may notice she does not turn meaningfully to greet you. Her general body motions appear uncoordinated and random for her age - purposeless. You get the unmistakable gut feeling that she shows little or no affection in spite of your best attempts to show her intimacy and warmth.
- The second problem you might notice is her failure to communicate with gestures and expressions of
emotion. Engaging Autism believes your child may feel pleasure and sense affection; still she is unable to express this feeling. To add to her problem, you may be more hesitant to respond to her, thus reducing the chain of social and emotional exchanges necessary for her to develop a sense of self. - A third area where your child may languish would be expressive language. You may find that although she has begun to use basic words, she may use them without showing longing or emotion. When she does vocalize, it may be the same words repeated over and over as if memorized with little or no feeling involved.
In Engaging Autism, floor-time refers to three actions you, and everyone who deals with your daughter, must be encouraged to take, in order to help her develop to her full potential. The actions must be taken as often as possible and should include other family members, neighborhood children, relatives, teachers etc.
1. Floor-time means you begin a sequence of two-way communication with your daughter at her own developmental level. It may not involve talking.
2. Floor-time means you start a communication sequence by following your daughter’s lead regardless of what she is doing.
3. Floor-time means challenging your daughter to respond verbally or with some other kind of cue: a grin, a smile, an emotional change on her face - any noticeable reaction.
It can be extremely frustrating for you trying to engage your daughter if she is staring off into space or is engaged in obsessive stimming behavior. But before any real communication can begin, you must first engage her.
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