Bea Reviews NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and The Future of Neurodiversity by Steve Silberman

Publisher: Avery
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: August 25, 2015
Challenges: COYER Summer Scavenger Hunt | NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Kobo | iTunes | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

A groundbreaking book that upends conventional thinking about autism and suggests a broader model for acceptance, understanding, and full participation in society for people who think differently.

What is autism: a devastating developmental disorder, a lifelong disability, or a naturally occurring form of cognitive difference akin to certain forms of genius? In truth, it is all of these things and more—and the future of our society depends on our understanding it. WIRED reporter Steve Silberman unearths the secret history of autism, long suppressed by the same clinicians who became famous for discovering it, and finds surprising answers to the crucial question of why the number of diagnoses has soared in recent years.

Going back to the earliest days of autism research and chronicling the brave and lonely journey of autistic people and their families through the decades, Silberman provides long-sought solutions to the autism puzzle, while mapping out a path for our society toward a more humane world in which people with learning differences and those who love them have access to the resources they need to live happier, healthier, more secure, and more meaningful lives.

Along the way, he reveals the untold story of Hans Asperger, the father of Asperger’s syndrome, whose “little professors” were targeted by the darkest social-engineering experiment in human history; exposes the covert campaign by child psychiatrist Leo Kanner to suppress knowledge of the autism spectrum for fifty years; and casts light on the growing movement of "neurodiversity" activists seeking respect, support, technological innovation, accommodations in the workplace and in education, and the right to self-determination for those with cognitive differences.

Bea Reviews Parenting in the Age of Attention Snatchers by Lucy Jo Palladino

Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: May 19, 2015
Challenges: NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit* | Kobo  | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Are your kids unable to step away from the screens?  Here is a practical, step-by-step guide that gives parents the tools to teach children, from toddlers to teens, how to gain control of their technology use.

As children spend more of their time on tablets and smartphones, using apps specially engineered to capture their attention, parents are concerned about the effects of so much technology use--and feel powerless to intervene. They want their kids to be competent and competitive in their use of technology, but they also want to prevent the attention problems that can develop from overuse. Lucy Jo Palladino shows that the key is to help kids build awareness and control over their own attention, and in this guide she gives parents the tools to do exactly that, in seven straightforward, evidence-based steps.
    
Parents will learn the best practices to guide children to understand and control their attention—and to recognize and resist when their attention is being "snatched." This approach can be modified for kids of all ages. Parents will also learn the critical difference between voluntary and involuntary attention, new findings about brain development, and what puts children at risk for attention disorders.

Bea Reviews Calm Mama, Happy Baby by Derek O'Neill & Jennifer Waldburger

Publisher: Health Communications
Format Read: egalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: October 1, 2013
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble

Blurb from goodreads:

Every parent of a newborn feels overwhelmed by the enormity of the tasks at hand: Suddenly responsible for feedings, diaper changes, and trying to sleep, parents are stressed out and anxious. Since babies today are born even more aware, awake, and attuned than previous generations, it's easy to see why parents--especially moms--are frazzled.  

The good news is that the cause and effect between parents' mental and emotional states and their baby's mood and behavior works both ways; when parents are calm and centered, their children are calm as well. From consulting in Hollywood's poshest nurseries to leading sold-out workshops with sleep-deprived parents, Jennifer Waldburger and Derek O'Neill share their proven arsenal of methods to calm parents and their kids, often in seconds. 

With an eye-opening blend of neuroscience research, personal stories, and cross-cultural insights, "Calm Mama, Happy Baby" empowers moms (and dads) to be proactive about how they are "feeding" their babies energetically, choosing calm over stress. While many well-meaning parents spend money safety-proofing their homes, they fail to learn the most important thing to safeguard their baby's emotional health, which is to maintain peace within themselves and within the home. "Calm Mama, Happy Baby" shows parents how to:

     Stress-proof the baby's room with a paint color that soothes instead of stimulates and learn how certain music affects your baby's mood and behavior. Stop the Mommy Guilt and turn negative "Mama mantras" into positive ones. Discover why becoming a parent brings up unresolved fears and insecurities and how to put them to rest. Use the proven CALM technique to diffuse any parenting situation, from feeding problems and sleep disruptions to separation anxiety, teething, and fussiness.   

Yes, a happy baby is paramount, but when you have a happy Mama, too, then the entire household thrives. "Calm Mama, Happy Baby" paves the path from chaos to calm.