The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder (And Their Parents)

Book excerpt: Help autistic kids understand their unique gifts and needs and learn strategies for daily living in a neurotypical world. This positive, straightforward reference book offers kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) their own comprehensive resource for both understanding their condition and finding tools to cope with the challenges they face every day. Freshly updated, the content reflects changes in the understanding of ASD since the book was first released, including clarification that Asperger's syndrome is no longer a specific diagnosis and what this means for readers. The book also features new stories of young people with autism and an added chapter, "Tech Talk." Some children with ASD are gifted; others struggle academically. Some are more introverted, while others want to be social. Some get “stuck” on things, have intense interests, or experience repeated motor movements like flapping or pacing (“stims”). The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder covers all of these areas, with an emphasis on helping children gain new self-understanding and self-acceptance. Meant to be read with a parent, the book addresses questions (“What is ASD?” “Why me?”) a(more...)