Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes you Knew
– Ellen Notbohm
Written by Ellen Notbohm, a mother of a child with autism and ADHD, this book describes ten characteristics common to children with autism including difficulties with sensory processing, social interactions, and speech and language impairments. This book aims to be a resource for anyone and everyone that knows or interacts with an individual on the autism spectrum by providing them with information that will help them understand the challenges often faced by individuals with autism.
Autism Spectrum Disorders: What Every Parent Needs to Know
– Alan Rosenblatt and Paul Carbone
This is a great resource for parents with a child recently diagnosed with autism. Written by two pediatricians and autism experts, Dr. Alan Rosenblatt and Dr. Paul Carbone,this book helps parents better understand how autism is diagnosed as well as the various treatments and interventions available to individuals with autism. Additional information is included regarding transitions throughout an individual’s lifetime- childhood, adolescence, and adulthood- and how parents can help their child with autism make these transitions smoothly. Advice and inspiration from other parents of children with autism is included throughout the book.
The Autistic Brain: Helping Different Kinds of Minds Succeed
– Temple Grandin
This book was written by an individual diagnosed with autism, Dr. Temple Grandin. Dr. Grandin is currently an author, speaker, and Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. In Part One of this book, Dr. Grandin discusses the characteristics common to those with autism and her own unique experiences of living with autism. Part Two of this book focuses on recent research and advances in neuroimaging that are helping scientists study the brain of individuals with autism to find differences in their brain. Dr. Grandin includes her own brain scan to help illustrate some of these images.
Let me Hear Your Voice
– Catherine Maurice
This book was written by a mother of two children with autism and chronicles her family’s experience with autism. From first receiving a diagnosis to choosing the best treatment approach for her children, Catherine Maurice provides valuable insight into the challenges and successes experienced by her family throughout their journey with autism.
Behavioral Intervention for Young Children with Autism
– Catherine Maurice and Gina Green, PhD, BCBA-D
This book was written as a manual for parents of children with autism. This book includes a wealth of information regarding Applied Behavior Analysis and how to evaluate the various treatment options available for children with autism, including what to look for in a therapist and how to recognize evidence-based practices from “fads” or “miracle cures.
A Work in Progress
– Ron Leaf, John McEachin, Jaisom Harsh
This book was written as a comprehensive guide for parents and professionals working with children with autism on setting up and running an ABA program. The first part of the book introduces and describes behavioral strategies for teaching skills such as toilet training and social communication, dealing with challenging behaviors, and how to use reinforcement, among other topics. The second part of the book includes a complete curriculum guide that provides lessons with detailed instructions for teaching skills like block imitation, receptive language, motor skills, social and play skills, and many others. Additional information on data collection, evaluating and monitoring progress, as well as sample data sheets are included in part two.
Teaching Children with Autism: Strategies for Initiating Positive Interactions and Improving Learning Opportunities
-Robert Koegel and Lynn Koegel Drs. Robert and Lynn Koegel
are both directors at the Autism Research Center at the University of California in Santa Barbara. This book is a resource for parents and professionals working with individuals with autism and provides well-researched information regarding the characteristics of autism and strategies for teaching. The importance of including families in decision making and intervention is discussed along with specific strategies for doing so.
Understanding Applied Behavior Analysis: An Introduction to ABA for Parents, Teachers, and other Professionals
– Albert Kearney
Albert Kearney defines and explains the kinds of learning and reinforcements that are used in ABA programs. This introductory guide shows how science behind behaviors can be successfully applied through intervention techniques to help real life behavior problems. After laying a solid foundation of the basics in understanding ABA, Kearney dives into more advanced topics such as applications of ABA in education.
Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Complete Guide to Understanding Autism
– Chantal Sicile-Kira
This book includes information based on the author’s personal experiences as a parent of a child with autism and a professional working with individuals with autism. The book covers a wide range of topics from diagnosis to adulthood and includes topics such as intervention strategies, education, and family support.
An Early Start for Your Child with Autism: Using Everyday Activities to Help Kids Connect, Communicate, and Learn
– Sally Rogers, PhD and Geraldine Dawson, PhD
Through new research, this book argues that parents play a massive role in allowing toddlers and preschoolers on the autism spectrum to interact with others. This guide gives practical strategies parents can use to turn daily routines into a fun learning experience that focuses on improving the developmental skills of their child. These strategies include incorporating play, language and engagement.
Finding Kansas: Living and Decoding Asperger’s Syndrome
– Aaron Likens
Finding Kansas is a memoir written by Aaron Likens, a boy diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at age twenty. Aaron shares his personal experience about what it is like to live with Asperger’s and the importance for those with Asperger’s to find their own “Kansas”- a place where they feel comfortable and confident. Aaron describes how finding his “Kansas” in auto-racing has helped him cope with Asperger’s and provides other ideas and insights into what life is like for individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome.
Easy to Love but Hard to Raise: Real Parents, Challenging Kids, True Stories
– Kay Marner and Adrianne Ehlert Bahista
This book is comprised of essays written by parents of children, teens, and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. The essays include personal insights and accounts of parents’ experiences receiving a diagnosis, deciding on an intervention or treatment, navigating the educational system, and advocating for their child.
From Emotions to Advocacy
– Pam Wright and Pete Wright
This is a parent’s roadmap on how to plan ahead, organize and find the right education services for their family. It teaches you how to learn your child’s disability, figure out the best plan for their educational needs, and to most productive way to organize your child’s file. Topics from understanding parent-school conflicts to customising your own letter writing are covered along with customizable pre-written letters and worksheets to be tailored to your specific needs.
Play and Imagination in Children with Autism
– Pamela Wolfberg
Dr. Pamela Wolfberg is an associate professor of special education and the director of the autism graduate program at San Francisco State University. In this book, Dr. Wolfberg describes the importance of play for typical children and the challenges that many children with autism experiences with play and imagination. The book includes three case studies of children with autism as they learn to overcome these challenges and play with their peers.
A Full Life with Autism: From Learning to Forming Relationships to Achieving Independence
– Chantal Sicile-Kira and Jeremy Sicile-Kira
Written by autism expert Chantal Sicile-Kira and her son Jeremy who is diagnosed with autism, this book is a guide on transitioning to adulthood and the challenges it can bring for individuals with autism and their parents. The authors provide ideas for dealing with these challenges that will allow individuals with autism to lead productive and happy lives.