BOOKS

BOOKS - AUTISM SPECTRUM


The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome by Tony Attwood - A great book explaining what Asperger's looks like at every stage of development.

The Oasis Guide to Asperger Syndrome by Patricia Romanowski Bashe and Barbara L. Kirby - This is an incredibly comprehensive book that discusses all of the challenges and co-morbid conditions faced by individuals with Asperger's. It is an excellent reference manual that covers pretty much every therapy, intervention, and strategy imaginable.

1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism or Asperger’s, 2nd edition by Ellen Notbohm and Veronica Zysk - This book is full of practical tips organized into categories like behavior, sensory integration, communication, and more. Quick and easy to read - an essential.

Asperkids: An Insider's Guide to Loving, Understanding, and Teaching Children with Asperger Syndrome by Jennifer Cook O'Toole - As an Aspie herself raising children on the autism spectrum, Jennifer Cook O'Toole provides a completely unique insight into working with kids with ASDs - "Asperkids", as she calls them. Her strategies are practical and well explained, and best of all, they are always presented with an abundance of respect and love for the child. A must read!

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome by Kathy Hoopmann - An adorable book full of cute cat pictures, it also gives a fairly good overview of Asperger's. A great book for children, explaining Asperger's to family in a few words, or anyone who likes cats.

Thinking in Pictures and TheWay I See It by Temple Grandin - These books provide a unique and personal insight into autism from Dr. Temple Grandin - everyone should read these books. And if you ever get the chance to see Dr. Grandin speak in person – go!

Tasks Galore by Laurie Eckenrode, Pat Fennell, and Kathy Hearsey - This book is loaded with tasks based on the TEACCH structured teaching principles to teach skills in fine motor, readiness, language arts, math, and play. A valuable guide for teaching your child skills at home.

BOOKS - BEHAVIOR

The New Social Story Book by Carol Gray - This book gives her official method on how to write effective stories for children and teens to explain every conceivable situation and to teach appropriate behavior. A must read.

The Incredible 5 Point Scale by Kari Dunn Buron - An absolutely amazing system for helping kids with ASD learn to understand and manage their emotions and behaviors.

A 5 Could Make Me Lose Control by Kari Dunn Buron - A companion activity to The Incredible 5 Point Scale. It is a set of cards with different scenarios that the individual with ASD or anxiety can use to rank situations according to how stressful they feel.

When My Worries Get Too Big: A Relaxation Book For Children Who Live With Anxiety by Kari Dunn Buron - This one is designed for children aged 4 - 10, and focuses on helping children develop calming strategies to deal with their big feelings. Very child friendly.

No More Meltdowns: Positive Strategies for Managing Out-of-Control Behavior by Dr. Jed Baker - Dr. Baker explores practical strategies on managing common triggers for meltdowns for children with compassion. This book is a good companion to those written by Ross Greene listed below.

The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene, Ph.D. - A useful tool for managing inflexibility and explosive behavior in any child, whether or not they are on the spectrum. His philosophy is that a child does well when he can, and children with behavior problems need to be taught skills to manage their feelings.

Lost at School by Ross W. Greene, Ph.D. - Using the same strategies as The Explosive Child, geared towards teaching skills to manage inflexible and problematic behavior in school.

BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

There are a number of books about ASDs written especially for children. Some are geared towards children on the spectrum, while others are intended to be shared with peers and siblings. Also visit our page about social skills books for more books that are designed to read with your child.

Can I Tell You About Asperger Syndrome? A Guide for Family and Friends by Jude Welton - Designed for kids 7 - 15 years old, this simple book explores Asperger's from the point of view of a boy on the spectrum. It is a good introduction to Asperger's / HFA for any child, including peers, siblings, or the child with autism himself. A good book to share when explaining an Asperger's diagnosis.

Asperger's -What Does It Mean to Me? Structured Teaching Ideas for Home and School by Catherine Faherty - An in-depth workbook that helps the child or teen explore what autism looks and feels like for him to gain greater self understanding. Each section also provides ideas for parents and teachers, primarily based on the TEACCH principles of Structured Teaching.

What It Is to Be Me! An Asperger Kid Book by Angela Wine - A very simple illustrated book told from the point of view of a child with Asperger's. It takes a very positive approach, and includes many of the strengths that children with Asperger's often have. Appropriate for sharing a diagnosis with a young child or siblings.

My Friend with Autism by Beverly Bishop - A colorful book meant to foster understanding and acceptance among peers. It does a nice job covering some basics about autism and giving children tips on how to play with their friend or classmate on the spectrum.

The Autism Acceptance Book by Ellen Sabin - An activity book for peers and siblings to help them better understand how a child with autism might feel in various situations. It encourages the reader to think about ways that they can be a good friend to a child on the spectrum.

Freaks, Geeks, and Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence by Luke Jackson - An outstanding book written by a 13 year old boy with Asperger's. He does a fantastic job of explaining how autism affects his life, with plenty of tips for other kids on a wide range of topics, including school, homework, bullying, and even girls.

Why Do I Have To? A Book for Children Who Find Themselves Frustrated by Everyday Rules by Laurie Leventhal-Belfer - If your child doesn't understand why they have to go to bed at a certain time, come to the table for meals, wear socks and shoes, and other everyday activities, you need this book! In simple terms, it gives the child the logical reason behind rules that may frustrate them, along with suggestions to make following those rules easier. Great for families that have a lot of power struggles around daily living tasks.

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome by Kathy Hoopman - This book explains some of the basics of Asperger's, told through a series of adorable photos of cats and kittens. It is a great addition to any bookshelf.

My Mouth Is a Volcano by Julia Cook - Taking turns talking can be a difficult concept, and this book explores interrupting and how to take turns speaking in a fun way. The illustrations are delightful, and the volcano concept is engaging for children.

BOOKS - SOCIAL SKILLS AND SOCIAL THINKING

Thinking About You, Thinking About Me by Michelle Garcia Winner - Not just social skills, social thinking! Michelle Garcia Winner is the social thinking guru. Her books are on the expensive side, but worth every penny. They are also very humorous, which makes them more fun to read.

You Are a Social Detective by Michelle Garcia Winner - A comic book format book to teach social thinking to children with Asperger's / HFA. A great book for kids ages 4 - 9. Highly recommend everything written by Michelle Garcia Winner!

Superflex: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum by Stephanie Madrigal and Michelle Garcia Winner - This is the introduction to the Superflex curriculum, which introduces children to a team of "Unthinkables" that try to take over their brains. They then learn Superflex strategies to defeat those Unthinkables, using the power of Social Thinking. Michelle Garcia Winner recommends starting with the You Are a Social Detective book first to introduce the concepts of Social Thinking before moving into the Superflex curriculum. There are additional books in the series after this one.

Social Skills Picture Book: Teaching Play, Emotion, and Communication to Children with Autism by Dr. Jed Baker - This book explores real life situations using photos of children doing the same thing first in the unexpected way, and then again in a more expected way that produces a better outcome. It shows children what others are thinking when they act a certain way, so they can see why certain approaches are more likely to be successful than others.

Teaching Your Child the Language of Social Success by Marshall P. Duke, Elisabeth A. Martin and Stephen Nowicki, Jr. - This book is designed to help parents understand non-verbal language and how to teach it to their children.

Playing It Right! Social Skills Activities for Parents and Teachers of Young Children with ASDs by Rachael Bareket - A book packed with activities that parents and educators can do with preschool and early elementary children. I particularly like that it starts by defining basic relationships for the child with a family tree activity. From there, the book explores how to interact with others based on the child's relationship with them (family, teacher, friend, etc.), including an activity in which the child lists things that another person like a parent does for them, and things that the child can do in return, such as cooperate when asked to go to bed.

Tobin Learns to Make Friends by Diane Murrell - Pretty much the cutest social skills book ever! A little red train learns what to do (and not to do) to make and keep friends. Perfect for little train lovers aged 3 - 8.
Friends Learn About Tobin by Diane Murrell - The follow up to Tobin Learns to Make Friends. This time, Tobin's engine friends learn to understand his differences and to appreciate him for them. An entertaining book to read with your kids, and it would also be a great way to introduce ASD to siblings or friends. 

BOOKS - SPECIAL EDUCATION AND 2E

Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition by Peter Wright, Esq. - The ultimate book about special education law with the complete text of the IDEA 2004 laws and regulations.

Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Edition by Peter Wright, Esq. - A very easy to read and practical book for parents about becoming an effective advocate for your child's special education.

Wrightslaw: All About IEPs by Peter Wright, Esq. - As the name suggests, a comprehensive guide to IEPS. It has both practical tips and the law to back them up.

The NOLO Complete IEP Guide: How to Advocate for Your Special Ed Child by attorney Lawrence Siegel - Sort of combines the information from the three Wrightslaw books into one guide. I really liked the sample letters and organizational guides in this book. Personally, I would suggest having all of these books in your library.

The ASD Nest Model: A Framework for Inclusive Education for Higher Functioning Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders by Shirley Cohen, Ph.D and Lauren Hough, MsEd - Explains the evidence-based Nest model of educating higher functioning students with ASDs, which uses appropriate supports and placement to foster a positive educational experience. The Nest model is a highly regarded program used in New York City Public Schools that provides an educational option for those students who are "in the middle" - those who struggle in a typical mainstream classroom, but for whom a separate setting classroom is not appropriate either.

BOOKS - SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER

The Out of Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz - A comprehensive book about diagnosing, understanding, and treating sensory processing disorder

The Out of Sync Child Has Fun by Carol Kranowitz - A companion book to The Out of Sync Child full of games to help with sensory integration

Growing an In Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz - A similar format to The Out of Sync Child Has Fun, but with simpler games requiring minimal equipment

Raising a Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel, OTR/L and Nancy Peske - Another excellent book about sensory processing disorder with quite a bit of information on SPD and autism spectrum disorders.

When the Brain Can't Hear by Terri James Bellis - A comprehensive book explaining auditory processing disorder.

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All content © 2021 by Chapel Hill Autism Resources and Tools (C.H.A.R.T.)

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