PARENTING

Parenting While Autistic: Raising Kids When You’re Neurodivergent

by Wendela Whitcomb Marsh
Future Horizons. Dec. 2023. 234p. ISBN 9781957984285. pap. $19.95. CHILD REARING
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Marsh’s (CEO of Adult Autism Assessment & Services; author of Relating While Autistic) book covers stages of parenting that span from pregnancy and birth to parenting adult children. Each chapter ends with relevant quotes from two autistic people. Marsh provides easy-to-remember acronyms to remind readers of key parenting skills. Each chapter follows the story of several fictional families, which many readers may recognize from her previous books. These characters include an adoptive family, a lesbian couple, a pregnant teen, a grandparent, and even pet owners. Their fictional stories are designed to show readers how to prepare for common and difficult scenarios, but some readers may question why real people with real stories weren’t given as examples. Marsh details warning signs of sensory overwhelm, recommends ways to recharge, and offers advice about how to hold successful family meetings that put everyone on the same page.
VERDICT A much-needed, easy-to-read volume that encourages autistic people to have children if they want them and to ignore those who think that neurodivergent people can’t be good parents. Marsh uses fictional examples as a main teaching tool.
Reviewed by Julia M. Reffner , May 01, 2024
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