Nothing in any book ever pertained to my daughter. So please use discretion when it comes to giving advice to a parent, unless that parent is asking. When you have children, you will understand this. My grandson's autism has turned me into an advocate and researcher on the subject. You face a daunting task.
Most uninformed parents act in denial when possible autism is brought to their attention.
Yet for the good of the child, the most important thing is early intervention. I mean a professional with extensive experience in such disorders as Pervasive Developmental Delay and Aspergers Syndrome, all of which are much different from Downs Syndrome, mental retardation and bipolar. Much useful information can be gained from sites such as the Autism Research Institute, and the newsgroup bit.listserve.autism. I wouldn't think any parent would like to hear an evaluation of their child by a college student. I'm not a teacher, but I majored in Elem.