ALSO great for non asd children to understand and appreciate the ...
594964
self confident building book for any ASD child...ALSO great for non asd children to understand and appreciate the difference their autism sibling or friend might have to offer!
4829801
This is a great illustrated story Bible - and is perfect for our friends with intellectual and developmental disabilities because although it is a children's Bible, it doesn't use cartoon or juvenile illustrations - so it is respectful and mature enough to use with adults.
4818126
I bought this video for my grandson who was diagnosed when he was two years old with slight to moderate autism. He is now three. His sister is four years old. Both of them love this video. It has helped the 3 year old mimic responses and try to use them on his own. He is saying Hi now. He was not before the video. His sister really can not get enough of the video. This video is  appropriate for pre-schoolers without autism. Both of my grandchildren love the songs in the video. They sing along with the children in the video. The calm down song really does put both of my grandchildren in a calmer mode. The lesson planning for this video is excellent. I actually enjoy it and especially the songs. They are simple and appropriate for the activity that the children are engaging in. The lesson planning and the music was well thought out. I like this video. I highly recommend this video. I cannot wait for the next volume to be released.
4764573
I remember one of my friends talking about her life after she shared her daughter's Autism diagnosis with her friends and family.  She told me, "If my daughter had cancer, people would have rallied around me with support and casseroles.  When I told people about my daughter's autism, everyone just disappeared".  Unfortunately, this is not a unique story.  Usually it is not for lack of love or caring, it is because of the fear of doing the wrong thing or simply not knowing what to do or say.

Author Ann Palmer does a wonderful job of using actual parent's stories and the stories of extended families and friends to talk about how things can go right, how they can go wrong, and real ideas of how to help and be there for each other.  This is also a great read for parents of ASD children because it explains how we can sometimes contribute to problems by not asking for help or not letting people know what is really going on in our lives.

I would recommend this book to anyone with a newly diagnosed child and to people who are already further down the road with ASD.  My son was diagnosed five years ago and our need for support has gone up and down through the years.  Reading this book I realized mistakes I have made and now know what I will do differently in the future.  I hope that other people will be able to use this book as a wonderful resource to maintain strong relationships through this lifetime journey.
2285625
I have a son with Asperger's syndrome. He can sometimes be the odd child in a group.  I bought this book for that reason and it fit the purpose nicely.  My son loved the story and so did several of his friends that we shared it with.

This is a great story to show that odd doesn't equal bad, and that there are things to be learned from those people who are just a little different than the typical.
4234987
I work in schools with children in special education. Many of the children I work with have autism, and my job is to teach them new behaviors to replace their inappropriate behaviors. Many children in both regular and special education do not always understand why somebody is behaving the way they do. This is the first book I've come across that teaches children in an easy to read and entertaining way that everybody is different, yet so similar. After reading this book, children may have a better understanding of autism and more acceptance of peers who behave differently than they do. I highly recommend this book to parents, educators, and anyone else who works with children. It may improve their social skills and acceptance of differences, which are skills that can last a lifetime.
4886575
Having taught several children on the autism spectrum, I thought this book did a great job of depicting the knowledge and focus some of these children can put into one topic (in this case trees).  The simple social interactions we take for granted are not easy for these kiddos and this book reminds us that raising them is not an easy task and the definition of love is broad.
4613215
There were times that I felt like this book was written just for me.  Many of Monica Holloway's experiences and emotions were very similar to my own during the diagnosis and acceptance stage of autism.  Her impulsivity and need to find control were easy for me to relate to, although I know that they seem unreasonable to some.  I've read some criticism of her way of dealing with the situation, but I don't agree.  As a parent, you do what you can to make things better for your child, and nobody is going to deal with that in the same way.  Bringing animals into her home to provide both distraction from the difficulties and focus on relationships was a wonderful way to approach autism.

What I loved about this book was that it was hopeful.  She took the situation and found a way to laugh about things, to enjoy her son's individual strengths, and help him move on.  The stories about Cowboy's puppy days were wonderful. This is a great story for animal lovers, and an important one for families dealing with autism.
2875025
Both of my kids and I like this book.  It helps my aspie see that he is not alone in how he feels.  It helps my 'neurotypical' child understand her brother (and a few classmates) a little more.  Well done!
3412073
My sister is deaf and I found this book very cute and informative. Had my mom had this book when my sister was little it might have helped on many occasions....... Very easy to understand, and the demonstrations by the students of different words at the end of the story was a added bonus!  I recommend this book to any one who has a child that is deaf or not even deaf, I have 6 grand kids and have taught each one sign when they were very young to make it easier for them to ask for what they need, want and or frustrated about.
3845199
Having a 4 year old on the edge of the autism spectrum is a blessing and a curse -- sure, she taught herself to read at the age of 3, but try finding something she *wants* to read out loud.  Even better, find something that helps teach natural speech intonation and provides massive opportunities to explore feelings, emotion and humor -- how great would that be for a kid with significant social and speech delays?

(Oh, wait -- that would be Elephant and Piggie!  They act out simple, short and funny stories, full of emotion and humor.  The dialog (and it's pretty much all dialog) is also short, fun, repetitive, and presented in color coded speech bubbles, so you always know who's speaking.  Basically, an early reader's dream come true.  My daughter is in love with the cute little girl pig (did I mention she was *pink*?) and about the second time through said, "I'll be Piggie".  So now she reads/acts Piggie's dialog while the rest of us read/act for Gerald the elephant and the various other bit parts.

Her dramatic reading intonation is improving (you can tell questions from exclamations by tone, now) and she enjoys the humor of the stories as well, often incorporating the scripts into her regular speech -- on our way to the airport she started saying, "Today I will fly!" in her Piggie voice.  (Needless to say, we replied "You will not fly today.  YOU WILL NEVER FLY!" just like Gerald.)  Even my 7 year old enjoys them, and will often volunteer to play a small role (like the dog or duck).

The books are just so well written -- so well *crafted* -- that they're just a pleasure to read.  After wading through rivers of drek trying to pass for childen's "literature", I just can't recommend these books highly enough.  These books feel as classic as Seuss and as humorous as Boynton,  and for an asd kid who's also an early reader, they're a double blessing.

(Oh -- about my comment concerning feelings and emotions, I'm referring merely to wonderful illustrations of Gerald and Piggie and the emotions they convey.  It provides us with a chance to say things like, "Does Gerald look skeptical?  I don't think he believes his friend Piggie can really fly," and "Wow, Gerald really looks surprised!  Is he surprised because Piggie is flying?"  More humorous twist at the end than touchy-feely ;-)

How on earth can a cartoon elephant look so skeptical, anyway?
1482885
I found reading this text a breath of fresh air, it has provided a greater insight through the lens of people with ASD.  The examples of situations that individuals face and how they account for the behaviour allows any person to appreciate the complexity and struggles a person living with ASD faces on a daily basis.  The sensory Profile is a great tool, highly recommend this to Case managers working with ASD clients any other professionals wanting to understand how the world is "seen" through the eyes of a perso  living with Autism.  It would be helpful for parents yo understand how their child is feeling at the time of a particular event and how best to work with the child to help them navigate the non autistic world
1647076
What in incredible useful book this is for those on the ASD spectrum.  I ran into this book looking through books I had not yet read related to ASDs.  I am now wondering why this is not one of the most recommended books for people with ASDs, it should be #1 reading for those on the spectrum. For a very long time I have attempted to help my son understand the world around him.  For a very long time I have purchased books to help him be more social.  Within the last few months I have started to feel that there was still something missing, something that just wasn't in those books.  I found some videos of a TV show which shows how NTs think and I found them interesting.  It was the type of thing that the books I had purchased for my child did not say.  As I read this book I thought that I would even find a few issues that even I didn't understand about NTs, but instead I found out that I didn't understand A THING about NTs at all.  It was as if all my relationships finally made sense.  In fact, those weird feelings I had for so many years thinking that someone wasn't really being 100% honest with me were actually true.  I feel like my whole life attempting to fit in, doing what those others told me I should do, was actually all a lie. This ended up being a book that drained me emotionally, but I am glad I read it. We NEED a book like this for our children.  The books out there for them do NOT tell the real truth, no wonder they continue to struggle.  While this book will not really change my views on social relationships, it will definitely put my fears at rest that yes, indeed, what I had been feeling was true. I will now be able to see how they live life and not take it so personally and in many ways makes me want to stay away from them even more.  Please write a book at least for teens, they need this and there is not anyone out there today attempting to help them that is telling them the real truth.  Meanwhile, I will be figuring out how to explain these issues to my son.
2223712
I got this book for my son, who is high functioning and he has really enjoyed it and we have added it to our night time routine.  While not all the characteristics apply exactly to him (he laughs at "F" which is "I have fantastic focus", because he doesn't at all, and he knows it!)  We have also used as a template to do our own alphabet book, geared more specific to him.  The reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that it is a little more simplistic than I had wanted.  The great thing about this book is that it gives these guys positive aspects of autism instead of more of what they "can't" do.
315372
A beautiful book celebrating 150 ASD children and young people and their individuality and love of life. An inspirational book. Would be perfect for a young person coming to terms with their diagnosis. They are not alone, they are more than diagnosis and they are awesome! The  Children in the book are from around the world!
534630
I am Jewish but bought this book as a kindergarten teacher at a non-religious private school.

Though this book does not delve into the the deeper meaning of Hanukkah, it is a great topical book for 2-5 year olds who aren't quite ready to understand the deeper meaning of the holiday, or who are at an establishment that avoids religious depth in lessons. This is not a critique at all; the book relays wonderful traditions in an educational and entertaining way that will stick with children more so than the in-depth story of Hanukkah's more religious and tragic history. It is a wonderful introduction to the holiday's concepts, while providing the added bonus of lessons in colors and numbers.
1552065
In a wonderfully humorous way, this book enlightens us about Asperger's Syndrome. It presents a great opportunity for parents and children to discuss Connor and his challenges, hopefully increasing compassion for anyone who might be "different" in some way. It is very well written and feels as though Connor is really telling his own story. I recommend this book to all parents, to read with their children.