Reviews

RICKI G. ROBINSON, M.D., M.P.H.

One of the most compassionate, comprehensive, and supportive books I have read for parents…truly outstanding.

-Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer, Autism Speaks

Dr. Robinson brings a new perspective to Autism Spectrum Disorders based on her years of experience as a pediatrician and autism advocate and her theoretical grounding in DIR/Floortime. She offers kind, honest advice about how a child with autism experiences the world and what this means to families…a unique resource to families and professionals.

-- Catherine Lord, Ph.D., ABPP, Director, University of Michigan Autism and Communication Disorders Center

What more could parents want than for their children to lead healthy and meaningful lives? Autism Solutions shows the way! As a wise pediatrician, wonderful advocate, and warm friend, Ricki Robinson provides evergreen information, advice and comfort to families striving to raise children with ASD.

-Carol Kranowitz, M.A., author, The Out-of-Sync Child, and co-author, Growing an In-Sync Child

Dr. Ricki Robinson is that rare combination of brilliant scientific medical mind, and tremendous compassion and sensitive heart. She is an angel of autism. Autism Solutions will become the “go to” reference for understanding and working with special children and their families.

-Elaine Hall, founder of The Miracle Project and author of: Now I See the Moon: A Mother, a Son, a Miracle

If you buy just one book about autism, this should be it. Dr. Robinson gives parents hope and practical advice. Nowhere else can such a comprehensive collection of useful, up-to-date information about autism be found between two book covers.

-Portia Iversen, author of Strange Son and co-founder, the Cure Autism Now (CAN) Foundation

Dr. Robinson brings remarkable heart, energy and depth of experience to a resource that promises to save countless children. Whether you are a parent or a practitioner, this book is a must if you hope to help a child with ASD become creative, interactive, warm and empathic. It is told with the refreshing voice of a doctor who seems to be sitting on the floor with your child on her lap and the most forward-thinking knowledge at her fingertips.

-Patricia Stacey, author of The Boy Who Loved Windows; Opening the Heart of a Child Threatened with Autism

COLLECTED PRAISE FOR

AUTISM SOLUTIONS

This is the doctor who believes in your child! It is the guide for every parent and professional, full of ideas and suggestions at every stage to address the developmental, emotional and medical challenges of autism. You will not have to worry about the questions you forgot to ask. Dr. Ricki’s door is always open and this book will be turned to again and again as she embraces you with her wisdom and knowledge.

-Serena Wieder, Ph.D., co-author of Engaging Autism; Founder and

Associate Chair, The Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and

Learning Disorders (ICDL)

In the introduction to this comprehensive resource on how to deal with autism, California pediatrician Robinson recounts her first encounter with the syndrome 20 years ago. At the time considered rare, today autism spectrum disorder affects one in 110 children in America, she states. Robinson vowed to find help for her first autistic patient and accompanied the child's parents to a meeting with pre-eminent child psychiatrist Stanley Greenspan, who wrote the foreword to this book and became Robinson's mentor. In 1998, Robinson decided to devote her entire practice to children with ASD and within months her wait list had grown to more than 1,000. In six parts, Robinson discusses autism's symptoms and possible causes, sensory-motor systems, evaluation and treatment plans, communication issues, medical concerns, and how to help the autistic child live a meaningful life. Robinson writes with authority and compassion, pointing out that with a properly devised individual treatment plan (she uses Greenspan's model, called "Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-based (DIR)/Floortime," a multidisciplinary approach to evaluation and treatment), all of her clients have made progress, including her first autistic patient, now in college. With her background in pediatric medicine, the author is particularly attuned to medical and behavioral issues that can complicate autism (i.e., allergies, sleep issues, recurrent infections, anxiety).

-Publishers Weekly (http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-373-89209-9)

With Autism Solutions Ricki Robinson has filled a big gap in the autism literature. This is a must read for those who want information, advice, and wisdom from one who, after decades of practice as a specialist and pediatrician, knows the field inside and out. She presents an open-minded, comprehensive, developmental approach that is a fresh break from the cookie cutter therapies that characterize too many of our interventions. She walks with families through the complexity of autism and, in a very readable style, thoroughly details individualized and practical solutions, including the often-neglected health and medical questions that families always have. For professionals, this evidence-based book is an excellent resource with detailed up to date reviews of the literature, an in-depth bibliography and long list of references. Ricki has provided vivid case studies, drawn from her extensive clinical experience, that offer pearls of wisdom for any clinician. I will definitely be recommending this excellent book to all my families and colleagues.

-Rick Solomon MD, Medical Director, The PLAY Project

Ricki Robinson’s new book is not only comprehensive, systematic, and precise, but also full of heart –exactly like the late Stanley Greenspan’s DIR/Floortime assessment and treatment for autism spectrum disorders, the most promising approach available today. Nobody understands autism spectrum disorders along with the other medical conditions that often accompany them better than Dr. Robinson does, nor does anybody have a more deeply empathic understanding of both the child and the parent’s experience than she. Autism Solutions translates the baffling behaviors of these children into meaningful communications, and disperses the cloud of mysteries that have veiled these disorders. It will be a godsend for any family navigating the sometimes bewildering path of autism spectrum disorders and the maze of treatments for them, and will empower parents to be their children’s most effective advocates.

-Joshua Sparrow, MD, Director of Special Initiatives, Brazelton Touchpoints

Center, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School

Drawing upon years of experience as a pediatrician who specializes in treating children with autism, Dr. Ricki Robinson shares her knowledge, wisdom, and optimism in a way that will help parents make informed decisions about their child's treatment. Especially helpful is Dr. Robinson's skill in conveying complex medical knowledge in ways that is understandable and helpful to parents. Whether a parent of a newly diagnosed child or a child entering adulthood, Autism Solutions offers helpful and up-to-date advice.

- Suzanne and Bob Wright, founders of Autism Speaks

This book will prove indispensable to families with autistic children. Dr. Ricki’s words will help parents ask essential questions of themselves, of their doctors, and of their educators at each critical step of their child’s development. As a consequence, parents will be equipped with the insights and information they need to pursue the best solutions to guide their child’s progress.

-Deborah Flaschen, Founder and former President of The Floortime Foundation;

Founder and President, 3LPlace,Inc.

Dr. Robinson is the pediatrician every parent wishes they had. Autism Solutions offers parents invaluable insight, creative solutions, and effective strategies for solving challenging behaviors and supporting a child’s social and emotional well-being. A must read for any parent of a child with autism as well as any clinician or educator working with children on the autism spectrum.

-Nancy D. Wiseman, Founder and President of First Signs and author of

The First Year®:Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Essential Guide for the

Newly Diagnosed Child

If having your child diagnosed with autism is like being cast out to sea, Autism Solutions is like a giant life raft filled with survival supplies. Parents of children diagnosed with autism today now have one more significant advantage over those who have come before them: this book. If you have a child with special needs, plant yourself in a chair and read this book before you do another thing.

-Erik Linthorst, Director of Autistic-Like: Graham’s Story