I have recently read three books which might be helpful for the siblings of children on the autistic spectrum or for anyone who comes into daily contact with such a child.
The first one, The Autism Acceptance Book: Being a friend to someone with Autism is particularly interesting .The suggested portions of "walking in their shoes" provided a simple way for the kids to begin to understand what it might be like to have ASD. The book provoked wonderful questions from the kids and referencing the book I was able to give understandable answers. Its sensitively and intelligently describes Autism.. This book and others like it will help children that don't have autism to better understand those who do have autism. The book strikes, in my view, just the right tone to give a young person insight into the needs and differences of a person with autism, without resorting to or promoting condescension or pity toward people with differences.
The second book is ALL ABOUT MY BROTHER, by Sarah Peralta. In her new book, All About my Brother, Sarah explains her brother, Evan, to her readers with compassion, entusiasm and a true appreciation of his abilities. If I could give a gift to every individual on the spectrum , it would be a sibling as wonderful as Sarah. This book shpould be in the home of every family with a member on the spectrum. It should be read to and by brothers and sisters,neighbors, and peers, It belongs in every school library. Sarah was eight when she wrote this book, but her wisdom and optimism are ageless. loved the way Sarah used technical terms she learned from Evan's team intervention specialists. When she uses them, she says quite matter-of-factly, "All I know is we have fun." I like the way she interacts with Evan and accepts and loves him unconditionally. All of the things they do together and all of the socialization she unwittingly teaches him through natural example, she is doing it for love and because it's just plain fun.
The third book is Everybody Is Different: A Book for Young People Who Have Brothers or Sisters With Autism by Fiona Bleach. This is an excellent teaching tool that paves the way towards acceptance of persons who display autistic behavior. Autism and its related neurobiological condition, Asperger's are spectrum conditions. Common spectrum behaviors include a myriad of sensory issues such as strong aversions for loud noises; strong reactions to certain smells and tastes and distinctive speaking styles. Many spectrum behaviors overlap and Asperger's, while considered at the higher end of the autism spectrum does indeed share common neuro-sensory ground with autism.
This book does a heroic job in explaining and addressing these issues to young children. It is a good way of empowering children on and off the spectrum with knowledge that will in turn pave the way to greater acceptance.
I will review more book choices in the next entry to the blog.
Linda
The first one, The Autism Acceptance Book: Being a friend to someone with Autism is particularly interesting .The suggested portions of "walking in their shoes" provided a simple way for the kids to begin to understand what it might be like to have ASD. The book provoked wonderful questions from the kids and referencing the book I was able to give understandable answers. Its sensitively and intelligently describes Autism.. This book and others like it will help children that don't have autism to better understand those who do have autism. The book strikes, in my view, just the right tone to give a young person insight into the needs and differences of a person with autism, without resorting to or promoting condescension or pity toward people with differences.
The second book is ALL ABOUT MY BROTHER, by Sarah Peralta. In her new book, All About my Brother, Sarah explains her brother, Evan, to her readers with compassion, entusiasm and a true appreciation of his abilities. If I could give a gift to every individual on the spectrum , it would be a sibling as wonderful as Sarah. This book shpould be in the home of every family with a member on the spectrum. It should be read to and by brothers and sisters,neighbors, and peers, It belongs in every school library. Sarah was eight when she wrote this book, but her wisdom and optimism are ageless. loved the way Sarah used technical terms she learned from Evan's team intervention specialists. When she uses them, she says quite matter-of-factly, "All I know is we have fun." I like the way she interacts with Evan and accepts and loves him unconditionally. All of the things they do together and all of the socialization she unwittingly teaches him through natural example, she is doing it for love and because it's just plain fun.
The third book is Everybody Is Different: A Book for Young People Who Have Brothers or Sisters With Autism by Fiona Bleach. This is an excellent teaching tool that paves the way towards acceptance of persons who display autistic behavior. Autism and its related neurobiological condition, Asperger's are spectrum conditions. Common spectrum behaviors include a myriad of sensory issues such as strong aversions for loud noises; strong reactions to certain smells and tastes and distinctive speaking styles. Many spectrum behaviors overlap and Asperger's, while considered at the higher end of the autism spectrum does indeed share common neuro-sensory ground with autism.
This book does a heroic job in explaining and addressing these issues to young children. It is a good way of empowering children on and off the spectrum with knowledge that will in turn pave the way to greater acceptance.
I will review more book choices in the next entry to the blog.
Linda
