Review of "Through the Glass Wall"
By Howard ButenBantam, 2004
Review by Dana Vigilante on Jun 13th 2006
The author, Howard Buten, is a psychotherapist who not only specializes in the study of autism but acts as a performance artist in Paris, a clown-mime in his spare time and is a successful novelist, with seven extremely well published, titles to his name. He has devoted the last twenty years to researching both the causes and the effects of autism, and the search for an effective treatment, so desperately needed, for this disease is the focus of Buten's life.
Written with candor, compassion and empathy, Buten spares no expense in order to educate the reader on the severity of autism, the growing number of cases in the United States as well as Europe, and the need for further research to be able to put an end to this disease.
With the seemingly unreachable and impenetrable barrier that surrounds children with autism, Buten shares with the reader his most severe case studies over the course of the last several years. Cases that other physicians and health professionals assured him were hopeless, but cases that Buten chose to take on with faith.
Buten educates the reader on the typical behavior of an autistic child: from banging their heads, biting and chewing at their skin, to manic strangeness such as tapping on a window or wall for a calculated number of seconds. Buten has handled many severe cases of autism with an insurmountable level of faith, dedication and an overriding hope that treatment is possible.
Although many of the cases, with which the reader becomes familiar, are devastating we are also rewarded by learning the exceptional, almost miraculous, outcome of several of these patients. As a matter of fact, Buten named his autism center in Paris after one such patient, who went on to do exceptionally well in life.
Because we are hearing more and more about autism today, this book is a must-read for health professionals, as well as anyone who knows someone with autism. This book is informative, sympathetic and an excellent educational tool.
© 2006 Dana Vigilante
Dana Vigilante is a hospice educator as well as an advocate for proper end-of-life care and a certified bereavement group facilitator. Currently writing a book based on interviews with terminally ill hospice patients, she divides her time between New Jersey and San Francisco.
Resources
-
Articles
- What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
- Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
-
Autism Spectrum Disorder Interventions & Supportive Services
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Treatment
- Behavioral and Communication Approaches
- Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Discrete Trial
- Fluency
- Sensory Integration
- Floortime
- Medication
- Diet and Vitamins
- Complementary Approaches
- Therapeutic Animals
- Helping Families Cope
- Support Groups
- Wraparound Services
- Autism Spectrum Disorder and Mainstream Public Education
- Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adulthood
- Conclusion
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Resources
-
News
-
Questions and Answers
-
Book & Media Reviews
- A Guide to Asperger Syndrome
- A Parent's Guide to Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism
- A User Guide to the GF/CF Diet for Autism, Asperger Syndrome and AD/HD
- An Exact Mind
- Asperger Syndrome and Your Child
- Asperger Syndrome, Adolescence, and Identity
- Asperger's and Girls
- Autism - The Eighth Colour of the Rainbow
- Autism's False Prophets
- Autistic Spectrum Disorders
-
38 more
- Born on a Blue Day
- Boy Alone
- Can't Eat, Won't Eat
- Caring for a Child with Autism
- Children with Emerald Eyes
- Demystifying the Autistic Experience
- Eating an Artichoke
- Educating Children With Autism
- Elijah's Cup
- Exiting Nirvana
- Eye Contact
- Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome
- Incorporating Social Goals in the Classroom
- Integrated Yoga
- Learning and Behavior Problems in Asperger Syndrome
- Look Me in the Eye
- Maverick Mind
- Mysterious Creatures
- Our Journey Through High Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Rain Man
- Reweaving the Autistic Tapestry
- Seeing Ezra
- Snapshots of Autism
- Songs of the Gorilla Nation
- Targeting Autism
- Temple Grandin
- The Boy Who Loved Windows
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
- The Dragons of Autism
- The Flight of a Dove
- The Horse Boy
- The OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome
- The Ride Together
- The Speed of Dark
- Things Tom Likes
- Through the Glass Wall
- Weather Reports from the Autism Front
- What's Happening to Tom?
-
Links
-
Videos
- New Genetic Tools to Treat Autism and Pediatric Neurological Disorders
- Diagnosing and Treating Autism with Doris Trauner
- Talking to Our Kids With Autism Spectrum Disorder About Acts of Terrorism
- Talking to Our Kids With Autism Spectrum Disorder About Death
- Understanding the Genome and the Future of Autism Therapies
- What Is Asperger's?
- Autism Early Intervention
- Minority Children May Miss Autism Diagnosis
- Key Features of Autism
- Autism Puberty and Adolescence Toolkit
-
70 more
- Autism and Minorities
- Understanding the Genome and the Future of Autism Therapies
- Catching Autism Early
- The World of Autism PSA
- Is Asperger’s Syndrome Autism?
- Learning the Signs of Autism
- What is Autism?
- Understanding Autism
- Siblings of Children with Autism
- How Weighted Blankets May Lift Anxiety
- Caring for Children and Adolescents with Autism During COVID 19
- 1 in 45 autism prevalence explained
- Autism & Asperger's: What's The Difference?
- Screening for Signs of Autism
- Beyond the Data -- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Treating Autism
- What it’s like to have a brother on the autism spectrum
- iPads and Autism: 3 Features That Make the Tablet Easier to Use
- iPads and Autism: Getting the Most From Out-of-the-Box Apps
- Great Apps for Autism
- Teaching Social Skills to Teens with ASD
- ABA for Teens with ASD
- Customizing ABA Programs for Teens
- Autism Diagnosis and Access to Care in Minority Populations
- From Diagnosis to Treatment: The Revolution Driving Autism Research
- Reducing Disparities in Autism Diagnosis and Access to Care
- Autism Jargon: DRO
- Autism Jargon: NET
- 5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of ABA
- Autism Jargon: DTT
- Autism Jargon: Distractor
- Autism Jargon: Theory of Mind
- Autism Jargon: Pica
- Autism Jargon: Fluency
- Autism Jargon: Systematic Desensitization
- Is Asperger’s Included in the DSM5?
- Autism Jargon: Functional Communication Training
- 8 Questions to Ask Your Autism Service Provider
- Autism Jargon: Verbal Operants
- Autism Jargon: Establishing Operation
- Autism Jargon: Token Economy
- Treating Anxiety in Children and Teens with ASD
- Autism Jargon: Response Cost
- Teaching Soccer Skills to Kids with ASD
- "Focus on Ability, Not Disability"
- Dr. Tim Shriver: Intellectually Different ... Not Disabled
- P2I: Can We Prevent Autism?
- Autism Jargon: Positive Reinforcement
- Autism Jargon: Negative Reinforcement
- How the Diagnosis of Autism Helps Us Learn More About Autism
- Pathways for Treatments in Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Genetics of Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Autism Jargon: IEP
- My Inner Life with Asperger's
- Autism Jargon: Least Restrictive Environment
- Dealing with Challenging Behaviors
- How law enforcement and families work together to keep loved ones with autism safe
- Back to School: Homework Help!
- Advice on Telling Your Teen they have ASD
- Social Intervention Helps Adults With Autism
- Autism Jargon: Antecedent Modification
- Motor and Social Skill Function: Connecting Learning and Brain Function in Autism
- Minecraft for Autism
- Autism Signs
- CDC’s new update on autism: What you need to know
- Autism & Friendship
- Employment resources for adults with autism and their families
- Housing and residential support options for adults with autism
- Autism Spectrum Disorder: Many Questions Many Answers
- Diagnosing and Treating Autism
Topics
-
Related Topic Centers
-
Addictions
-
Aging & Elder Care
-
Assessments & Interventions
-
Career & Workplace
-
Emotional Well-Being
-
Life Issues
-
Parenting & Child Care
-
Abuse
-
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
-
Adoption
-
Autism
-
Child & Adolescent Development: Overview
-
Child & Adolescent Development: Puberty
-
Child Development & Parenting: Early (3-7)
-
Child Development & Parenting: Infants (0-2)
-
Child Development & Parenting: Middle (8-11)
-
Child Development & Parenting:Adolescence (12-24)
-
Child Development Theory: Adolescence (12-24)
-
Child Development Theory: Middle Childhood (8-11)
-
Childhood Mental Disorders and Illnesses
-
Childhood Special Education
-
Divorce
-
Family & Relationship Issues
-
Intellectual Disabilities
-
Learning Disorders
-
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
-
Parenting
-
Self Esteem
-
-
Psychological Disorders
-
Anxiety Disorders
-
Bipolar Disorder
-
Conversion Disorders
-
Depression: Depression & Related Conditions
-
Dissociative Disorders
-
Domestic Violence and Rape
-
Eating Disorders
-
Impulse Control Disorders
-
Intellectual Disabilities
-
Mental Disorders
-
Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
-
Personality Disorders
-
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
-
Schizophrenia
-
Sexual Disorders
-
Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders
-
Suicide
-
Tourettes and other Tic Disorders
-