The Loving Push, 2nd Edition: A Guide to Successfully Prepare Spectrum Kids for Adulthood

Preparing Kids for the Real World and Their Best Selves

Parents, teachers, therapists, and anyone who cares about a child or teen on the autism spectrum need this essential roadmap to prepare our youth for being successful adults in today’s world.

Since the first edition of The Loving Push, the prevalence rate of children diagnosed as autistic has only continued to rise. Greater numbers of kids are transitioning into adulthood with a spectrum label than ever before. Researchers around the world churn out studies, many aimed at learning more about the factors that help autistic children learn and gain skills. Community awareness of autism has risen, and companies and colleges are taking notice.

Best-selling author, autism advocate, and animal science professor Dr. Temple Grandin joins psychologist and autism specialist Dr. Debra Moore in spelling out which steps you can take to restore your child’s hope and motivation―and what you must avoid. Eight life stories told by people on the autism spectrum, including chapters on subjects like how to get kids off their computers, how to build on their strengths and get back to caring about their lives, and how to find a path to a successful, meaningful life make this a "must read book!"

The greatest gifts we can give a child are those that help them grow into their best self. Parents and professionals alike strive to guide young people in developing a sense of self-worth and functioning in line with their highest capabilities. No matter what specific challenges a child may face, success is reaching the level of independence and engagement in the world they are realistically capable of achieving is the top priority. This book is our guide.

Temple Grandin earned her Ph.D. in animal science from the University of Illinois and is currently a Professor at Colorado State University. Dr. Grandin is one of the most respected individuals with high-functioning autism in the world. She presents at conferences nationwide, helping thousands of parents and professionals understand how to help individuals with autism, Asperger’s syndrome, and PDD. She is the author of Emergence: Labeled Autistic, Thinking in Pictures, Animals in Translation (which spent many weeks on The New York Times Best-Seller List), The Autistic Brain, and The Loving Push, co-written with Debra Moore, Ph.D. One of the most celebrated -- and effective -- animal advocates on the planet, Dr. Grandin revolutionized animal movement systems and spearheaded reform of the quality of life for the world's agricultural animals.

Debra Moore is a psychologist who has worked extensively with children, teens, and adults on the autism spectrum. She believes in therapy approaches that focus on strengths and interests, recognize the individual differences of each client, and foster confidence and potential. She was Director and Founder of Fall Creek Counseling Associates, a practice that served the greater Sacramento area and was an approved teaching site for psychologists in training. Now retired from active practice, she devotes her time to volunteering and writing. She contributed to The Nine Degrees of Autism and wrote on "Internet and Gaming Addiction in Youth on the Autism Spectrum: A Particularly Vulnerable Population" in Internet Addiction in Children and Adolescents. With Dr. Temple Grandin she has coauthored The Loving Push: How Parents and Professionals Can Help Spectrum Kids Become Successful Adults and Navigating Autism: 9 Mindsets For Helping Kids on the Spectrum. She lives in Rappahannock County, Virginia.