Autism : an epidemic -- Total load theory : why so many children have autism -- Reducing load factors through lifestyle changes -- Digestion : the key to all health -- Dietary dos and don'ts for autism -- The immune system : what goes wrong -- A three-pronged approach to healing the physical body -- Hormones and autism : the endocrine system -- Detoxification : getting the bad stuff out -- Structural and brain integration therapies -- Reflexes : a blueprint for motor, cognitive, and social development -- Dental decisions -- Sensory processing and motor issues -- Focusing on vision, the dominant sense -- Improving communication and social-emotional skills through play -- Behavioral therapies and neurofeedback -- Assistive technology --Academics : finally learning to read, write, spell, and calculate -- Transition out of school into a life -- Living, employment and beyond -- Preventing autism

"The most comprehensive book available today for the general public on managing, healing, and preventing Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), now revised and updated with cutting-edge new information, Outsmarting Autism is an easy-to-understand, impeccably researched, user-friendly guide for parents, therapists, educators, and interested consumers. This easy-to-understand, impeccably researched, user-friendly guide addresses autism identification and treatment from conception through adulthood. Describing over 50 practical approaches with proven efficacy, from improving social skills through play; focusing on interacting, communication, and learning; dietary considerations; to boosting the immune system, Patricia Lemer's approach is based on multi-factorial causes, or "Total Load Theory." Children who develop autism have known risk factors that accumulate and cause difficult behaviors. Identifying what is physically wrong, and finding the proper treatments, can be the difference between management and healing. Every child with autism is unique, and this book helps determine what therapies, in what order, are right for a given child. In this new edition, research on every subject has been updated. New topics such as cannabis, stem cells, and dentistry are now included. This is a must-have for parents and families of children diagnosed with autism or Asperger syndrome, mental health and medical practioners, therapists, counselors, school counselors, school teachers -- anyone who interacts with children or adults with autism or Asperger syndrome, as well as for adults with autism or Asperger syndrome"--Provided by publisher