When your child receives a diagnosis of autism, one of the first hurdles is often explaining it (sometimes several times) to family and friends. There are a number of good resources for this, including these:
- Family Matters page on the O.A.S.I.S. site – this page has quite a few links to various resources for friends and families, and the letter to grandparents is especially good.
- TACA’s Ten Suggestions for Grandparents of Children with Autism – a simple list, but they can find lots of additional info if they look around the website
- AutismInfo.com’s page for Family and Friends – the layout isn’t great but it has some good information on it.
- Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew – a book by Ellen Notbohm. This is a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it to everyone! There is also a version for teachers about their students with autism.
At some point, you may also be interested in helping your child’s playmates and school peers to understand better how they can be a friend to someone with autism. Before doing this, you of course must think about when and how to disclose the information to your child and the best way to go about presenting the information to the children. When you are ready, here are some books that may be helpful:
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Can I Tell You About Asperger Syndrome?: A Guide for Friends and Family by Jude Welton, Elizabeth Newson, and Jane Telford (aimed at ages 7-15)
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A Is for Autism F Is for Friend: A Kid’s Book for Making Friends with a Child Who Has Autism by Joanna L. Keating-Velasco (told through the voice of Chelsea, an 11-year old with severe autism)
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The Autism Acceptance Book: Being a Friend to Someone With Autism by Ellen Sabin (aimed at ages 9-12)
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Since We’re Friends: An Autism Picture Book by Celeste Shally and David Harrington (aimed at ages 4-8)
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Playing by the Rules: A Story about Autism by Dena Fox Luchsinger and Julie Olson (aimed at ages 9-12)
If you have a story about how you explained the diagnosis to your friends and family, or to your child’s peers, I would love to hear it (whether in my comments, via an email, or in a post of your own).
I'm a mom with Asperger's raising an amazing son with autism, which means I'm basically the case manager/advocate/cheerleader/chauffeur. The rest of the time, you can usually find me with my nose in a book!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
This is a great selection of books. I used to be a librarian and always ordered books that dealt with real issues down on a child’s level. These are great. Jotting them down in case I return to that former life. Just wanted to offer some support and prayers. I know autism can be emotionally, phyically, and financially draining. I appreciate you spreading the word this month.
Excellent book list! It’s been 16 years since my son’s diagnosis of Friedreich’s Ataxia and I still explain it, sometimes repeatedly, to people
again, great list of info!
Hello, I just wanted to thank you for recommending my book A Is for Autism, F Is for Friend as an introductory tool for teaching typical peers about autism. I think it is so important for educators and parents to open this door for learning so that all the kids can better interact with each other through understanding, compassion and friendship. I also created a video introduction that you can watch and post for free which also explains it. You can find it on YouTube by searching A Is for Autism. Thanks again!