Quirky Kids: Understanding and Helping Your Child Who Doesn't Fit In- When to Worry and When Not to Worry Paperback – August 31, 2004

I would have loved to have this book two years ago. My son, then just shy of 3, was sweet and rambunctious, but just a little bit off the normal developmental trajectories. He had a phenomenal memory (he could walk into a store in a different state we had visited only once years earlier and remember EXACTLY where the bathroom was...), but he showed little interest in playing with other kids and his speech was delayed. Our worries peaked when another parent at Isaac's gymnastics class turned to us, identified himself as a pediatrician, and asked us what therapies Isaac was receiving because it was "obvious" he was a special needs child. Needless to say, we were more than a little distraught at this off-the-cuff diagnosis and wound up spending the next several months having Isaac undergo various types of evaluation. He ultimately was diagnosed with PDD-NOS and has shown tremendous gains after receiving early intervention and speech therapy.Looking back over that confusing, scary time, when we feared that something was "wrong" with Isaac but didn't know what, I realize that our fear and uncertainty would have been greatly diminished had I known of and read "Quirky Kids." Indeed, I think this book would be most helpful to those parents who are just starting the journey toward diagnosis and treatment. Parents like myself who have long gone through the evaluation process and have read extensively on these topics, etc. will not find much new in this volume. That did not stop me from reading and enjoying the book, however; I just really wish I had read the book much earlier, as it would have helped me greatly in understanding what was going on with my son.There were several aspects of the book I thought were particularly strong. First, I was glad to see the authors devote so much time to the etiology of these disorders, and I was EXTREMELY glad to see them debunk several of the popular myths floating around (e.g., the MMR vaccine) regarding the causes of autism. I also found the section on common medications prescribed and their side effects to be very helpful; parents need full knowledge of the possible benefits and negative consequences of the medications that health professionals can sometimes be too eager to prescribe.The aspect of the book I found most helpful, however, was the authors' calm reassurance regarding children who fall under the diagnoses covered by the book. The title itself captures this feeling of reassurance: These children are "quirky," and as the authors stress repeatedly, these diagnoses are fairly new. As recently as 10 or 20 years ago, these children would not have received a diagnosis at all. This has important implications, and perhaps the authors could have pointed out more explicitly the Catch-22 that parents of quirky kids face today: Early intervention helps, but receiving such intervention entails attaching a diagnostic label to your child that could stigmatize him or her and last a lifetime. Perhaps the greatest service this book provides is to walk parents through the maze of evaluation and diagnosis and subsequent therapies so that parents know better what they are getting themselves and their families into.This book raises a broader philosophical question: To what extent are we becoming a country obsessed with perfection and intolerant of any sort of deviation from the norm? When quirky kids who are, for the most part, functional and happy are given a diagnosis and thrown into therapy to get them to play and talk like other children, are we at risk of losing or devaluing some of the incredible diversity of human behavior that makes life interesting? I sometimes wonder. I know that my son has always been and is now one of the happiest children I have ever seen. He has an enthusiasm for life that brings smiles to the faces of everybody who sees him. Quite frankly, it bothers us--his parents--that he has few friends more than it does him. The admirable quality of "Quirky Kids" is that the authors help us to cherish the differences in our children and remind us that the most important thing, in the long run, is to help them enjoy their childhood and to let them be a kid first, and quirky second.

I bought this book in conjunction with "the Out-of-Sync child". I read this after the other book. While it offered some insight into quirky kids, it really provided the same info as other books I have read on the subject.There were two things that I did find appealing about the book. The first being that it followed the child from young quirky toddler through adolesence and into adulthood. I will keep this book as a reference source just for that reason.The second thing I liked about the book was that it was continually reassuring that eventually these quirky kids find their niche. That is something that any parent wants for their child - a place to fit in.Overall, I think that there are other books on the market that might address varying types of ASD better than this book. However, with the exception of this book, I have yet to find one that deals with the age progression of these children. For that reason alone, I would recommend it.

My child was labeled "Quirky" by a teacher when he was 5 yrs old. When I can across this title, I had to read it. It gave me so many answers, and described my son exactly. It taught me that you don't have to have an ADHD or Autism label in order to be struggling with the many symptoms that fall under either category. It validated my worries as a mother. A must read for parents wondering what's wrong with my child? Thumbs up.

There are so many books out there devoted to helping the parents of "special" kids. Most of them, I've found, are either way too touchy-feely or too text-booky. You can usually tell within the first few chapters what particular agenda the author will be focusing on, and with a few exceptions (such as "The Out-of-Sync Child") I hadn't yet found one that really worked for me. This book, however, drew me in right away and kept me coming back at any opportunity I could grab. (Any book that can have me reaching for it during the few minutes it takes to cook fish sticks in the microwave, well, that's a big deal.)My child is not just "difficult" or "spirited" - and he's also not afflicted in an "obvious" way (ie., on one of his good days, I doubt anyone would think something was amiss with the boy). He exists in that strange place where his behaviors, many of which are far beyond his control, just don't fit in with typical society...a true "quirky kid". This book addresses so many of the issues and situations that our family deals with on a daily basis (and those we will probably have to deal with in the future), and offers sensible, real-life suggestions. The authors seem to have a true understanding of what our kids go through, what the families go through, and where we might be able to make some changes for the better.