This unique book is the first to fully explore the history of autism - from the first descriptions of autistic-type behaviour to the present day. Features in-depth discussions with leading professionals and pioneers to provide an unprecedented insight into the historical changes in the perception of autism and approaches to it Presents carefully chosen case studies and the latest findings in the field Includes evidence from many previously unpublished documents and illustrations Interviews with parents of autistic children acknowledge the important contribution they have made to a more profound understanding of this enigmatic condition

If your child finds talking to people a struggle, this is the book to get the conversation started. In this hands-on guide, Heather Jones offers practical advice, born of experience with her own son, which will help you teach your child the principles of communication. Full of strategies and examples, it shows how you can allay fears, build confidence and teach your child to enjoy conversation. Once a child gets used to talking with other people, many life skills can develop more easily as they grow up – from making friends and shopping for themselves, to being interviewed and eventually getting a job. This handy book provides guidance and inspiration to parents, teachers and anyone else who cares for a child who finds language and comprehension difficult.

In conversation, children on the autism spectrum often struggle to select topics of interest to others. Many have strong, narrow interests and feel compelled to introduce these subjects when they talk. This book provides a simple visual model to help children experience more success in finding common ground in conversation. The "Green Zone" is a visual representation of finding common ground between one person (blue) and another person (yellow) to create a "green zone" that represents the pair's shared interests. The book, illustrated with hundreds of photographs representing the range of other people's interests, clearly explains what the "Green Zone" is and how to find it, and contains many photocopiable conversation practice activities and reinforcement worksheets based on this simple visual. Ideal for use in classroom settings or at home, this attractive, full colour book is suitable for children on the autism spectrum aged 7 and up.

This inventive colour picture book uses the metaphor of a train to teach basic conventions of conversation to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Engines are like greetings; they get the train going. Freight wagons are like different speakers' turns; it is good to have at least a few when you are in conversation. A set of points guiding a train from one track to another is like a tactful change in the topic of conversation. When a conversation veers off-topic it is like a derailed train. As well as attractive colour photographs of trains, the book contains engaging photocopiable worksheets and colouring pages to help promote skill generalisation. This highly visual approach to conversation is ideally suited to children with ASDs aged approximately 5-13.

Drawing on his own experience on the autism spectrum and his knowledge of linguistics, Paul Jordan provides simple 'scripts for thinking' that will help teens with autism to make sense of social situations and engage in everyday conversations.

Carol Gray combines stick-figures with "conversation symbols" to illustrate what people say and think during conversations. Showing what people are thinking reinforces that others have independent thoughts--a concept that spectrum children don't intuitively understand. Children can also recognize that, although people say one thing, they may think something quite different--another concept foreign to "concrete-thinking" children. Children can draw their own "comic strips" to show what they are thinking and feeling about events or people. Different colors can represent different states of mind. These deceptively simple comic strips can reveal as well as convey quite a lot of substantive information. The author delves into topics such as: What is a Comic Strip Conversation? The Comic Strip Symbols Dictionary Drawing "small talk" Drawing about a given situation Drawing about an upcoming situation Feelings and COLOR

Empowering and practical, this guide is the perfect companion for parents who are finding it difficult to tell their children about their autism diagnosis. It provides a realistic yet uplifting approach to autism, treating it not as a disability but as a difference. Not telling children about their autism diagnosis can have a significant negative impact on their mental health; by equipping parents with a language of positivity around autism, the book will make a difference to many children on the spectrum. It advises on how and when to talk to autistic children with both high and low care needs, and provides guidance on supporting children's relationships with peers at school, as well as how to broach the conversation with the child's siblings. Concise and easy to read, The Little Book of Autism FAQs answers parents' questions with accessible language, preparing them to approach this difficult conversation in a constructive manner.

Do you want to help your child on the autism spectrum to verbally communicate with you and others? You've picked up the right book. The Autism Language Launcher gives you something totally new: a step-by-step guide that ignites language lift-off by using methods such as tapping into your child's innate intelligence, going with your child instead of against your child and providing techniques that work with adults on the spectrum. Written for parents, relatives, professionals, educators, or caregivers of a child or adult who is not yet verbal, making some sounds, using some words, speaking in single words, or using two-word phrases, this book uses the author's decades of experience with children and adults on the spectrum. Kate also demonstrates how to effectively address your child's echolalia, repetitious language, and repetitive questions in a way that your child will find supportive, bonding, and even joyful. Ultimately, this book shows you how to make language happen.

"This book is a message from autistic people to their parents, friends, teachers, coworkers and doctors showing what life is like on the spectrum. It's also my love letter to autistic people. For too long, we have been forced to navigate a world where all the road signs are written in another language." With a reporter's eye and an insider's perspective, Eric Garcia shows what it's like to be autistic across America. Garcia began writing about autism because he was frustrated by the media's coverage of it; the myths that the disorder is caused by vaccines, the narrow portrayals of autistic people as white men working in Silicon Valley. His own life as an autistic person didn't look anything like that. He is Latino, a graduate of the University of North Carolina, and works as a journalist covering politics in Washington D.C. Garcia realized he needed to put into writing what so many autistic people have been saying for years; autism is a part of their identity, they don't need to be fixed. In We're Not Broken, Garcia uses his own life as a springboard to discuss the social and policy gaps that exist in supporting those on the spectrum. From education to healthcare, he explores how autistic people wrestle with systems that were not built with them in mind. At the same time, he shares the experiences of all types of autistic people, from those with higher support needs, to autistic people of color, to those in the LGBTQ community. In doing so, Garcia gives his community a platform to articulate their own needs, rather than having others speak for them, which has been the standard for far too long.

This curriculum offers an innovative, data-based method of teaching both the "how" and "why" of conversation to students with high-functioning autism and other social cognition challenges. We invite students to become club members, teach them the constellation of skills required for successful conversation, and include a cast of kid-friendly characters designed to facilitate thinking about the social significance underlying each skill. For each of the eight units, we include an engaging story book that introduces students to the target skill being taught.--Publisher.