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On Monday night at 8pm, be sure to tune in for our newest episode of Hope Saves the Day on Autism Radio .Tonight's shows Guest will be with Melissa Martinez Areffi and Andrew Areffi authors of the new book “Navigating Autism: The Essential How To By Parents For Parents,”

Areffi Family

LOS ANGELES

“Navigating Autism: The Essential How-to By Parents for Parents” www.amazon.com)“Navigating Autism: The Essential How-To By Parents For Parents,” and the parents of three children (ages 10, 9 and 7) with autism. They have consulted for parents, schools, therapy companies and the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. More information can be found online at the book’s official website – www.NavAutism.com – in addition to social networking sites at www.facebook.com/NavAutism, www.twitter.com/NavAutism, www.NavAutism.com/+ and www.pinterist.com/NavAutism.com.Los Angeles Department of Mental Health

"An incredible resource for parents packaged in a well-written and easy to digest format. This book provides parents with the pivotal questions to ask and valuable advice for getting them answered at every stage of their child's journey.” -- JENN MOORE, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Content,

“What does every mom or dad with a newly-diagnosed son or daughter with autism need most? A chatty, friendly, deeply informed best friend who is relentlessly honest but also realistically positive about the most effective ways to get through the confusing maze of choices that every parent of a kid on the spectrum faces. Melissa and Andrew Areffi's wonderful book "Navigating Autism" can serve the role of that best friend with warmth, humor, savvy, flair, and most importantly, tons of practical information. Melissa and Andrew know this terrain well, having three beautiful kids on the spectrum themselves, and they skillfully weave their own family's stories through the book. Highly recommended.” – STEVE SILBERMAN, Contributing Editor,

Wired magazineModernmom.com“The Areffis have turned their family challenge into a triumph. This book provides a highly personal yet practical recount of their journey through the untold barriers to seeking success for a child with Autism. This book is a must read for any parent seeking success for their special needs child.” -- DR. BARBARA STROUD, Clinical Psychologist,

How the system works across the country so that they can move to another city or state;

An easy to follow guide about who the agencies are, what they do, where they are, the appropriate time to contact, and how to apply;
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The five most important questions to ask service providers and how to find the answers;
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How to appeal the often frequent denials of services;
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Tips to help families make their life together more enriching, including suggestions on how to dine at restaurants and what sports autistic children can really enjoy.

The Areffis are the parents of three children with autism – Kennedy, age 10, Alex, age 9, and Bella, age 7. They wrote “Navigating Autism” because they were not able to find a book to guide them when Kennedy was diagnosed with autism in 2005. They were still struggling to get the assistance she needed when Alex was diagnosed on the spectrum in 2006 and Bella in 2008. Andrew Areffi said that he and his wife decided to write their own “how-to” book to make it easier and quicker for parents to find their way through the system. “We wrote the book that we wanted to read when Kennedy was diagnosed,” explains Andrew.

Since Kennedy’s diagnosis, the Areffis have consulted with parents, schools, therapy companies, large corporations and city governments about the impact of autism on families. They work tirelessly to support parents of autistic children, “We want to help as many people as possible,” says Melissa. “With early intervention, these kids can go on to become anything, and not dependent on disability services their entire lives. As parents, we want our kids to have a shot at happiness, and a ‘normal’ life. We figured we didn’t have any right to complain about how things are unless we did something about it to help.”

The Areffis met when they were both students at Cal State University, San Bernardino. Now married for 16 years, the Areffis live in Toluca Lake, Calif. They are both professionals in the entertainment industry: Melissa as a location manager and scout; Andrew in project development for both film and television. Together, they are a feature writing team and their current feature-film project, “Booth,” based on the 12 days John Wilkes Booth spent on the run after the Lincoln assassination, is in pre-production.

About “Navigating Autism”

Melissa and Andrew Areffi are the authors of

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, “Navigating Autism” is the first book of its kind to gather all of the necessary information about autism in one place and lay out specific instructions for parents. It demonstrates how to decode the jargon of therapists and teaches parents a way of thinking that will allow them to navigate the system of medical and educational administration in which they find themselves. In “Navigating Autism,” parents can find:

Published by Amazon ($24.95,
is a heart-warming, accessible and empowering “how-to” guide to help parents work through educational, governmental and medical obstacles to get the critical help their autistic children need. Written by Melissa Martinez-Areffi and Andrew Areffi, the parents of three children diagnosed with autism, the book also offers warm, honest anecdotes about their own experiences, providing inspiration and support to any parent going through the autistic journey.---

“NAVIGATING AUTISM” IS A MUST-HAVE GUIDE FOR PARENTS STRUGGLING TO GET SERVICES FOR THEIR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

-- Introduction from “Navigating Autism: The Essential How-To By Parents For Parents”

Melissa Martinez Areffi and Andrew Areffi

“Repeat After me: it is not my fault that my child has autism—everything will be okay. Good. Now let’s get to work….”