World Autism Acceptance Day is April 2, 2021. It kicks off Autism Acceptance Month, a global and national effort to help increase understanding and
acceptance of the autism spectrum. One in 68 children in the U.S. is born with
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autism is a complex group of developmental
disorders that may also affect a person's ability to communicate and interact
with others and may be accompanied by other health issues. The Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) is still learning about the causes of autism spectrum
disorder, and there is no known cure. However, early diagnosis, therapies, and
support for specific symptoms can be helpful.
The organizations below are helpful to persons with autism and their families
in navigating the many resources and information available to them.
The Asperger/Autism Network (AANE) serves children and adults
and provides a mixture of in-person and virtual services to meet the needs of
autistic adults, family members, neurodiverse couples, and professionals, no
matter where they live. The AANE community is geared towards families and
individuals with high-functioning autism (formerly known as Asperger's
syndrome, now an outdated diagnosis), but no formal diagnosis is needed to
attend conferences/programs, seek referrals, or access support. AANE is unique
in that people with ASD are involved in every aspect of the organization—from
being on the board and volunteering to serving on committees and as paid
staff. Also, AANE parent coaches and support specialists are “dual-certified,”
with both lived experience in autism and professional expertise.
https://www.aane.org/
Autism New Jersey is a nonprofit agency committed to ensuring
safe and fulfilling lives for individuals with autism, their families, and the
professionals who support them. Through awareness, credible information,
education, and public policy initiatives, Autism New Jersey leads the way to
lifelong individualized services provided with skill and compassion. They
recognize the autism community’s many contributions to society and work to
enhance their resilience, abilities, and quality of life. This site has great
resources and information specifically about New Jersey resources and
governmental agencies and services that will be useful for New Jersey
residents with Autism and their families.
https://www.autismnj.org/
The Autism Society of America is a grass-roots organization
with chapters across the United States, offering person-to-person,
community-based support, insights, and advocacy. The Autism Society also
provides an online database of local information and recommendations for
parents and autism providers. If you need help finding the best therapists,
navigating schools, finding a dentist, or even a buddy group for your child,
the local chapter will probably be your best resource.
https://www.autism-society.org/
Autism Speaks. Founded by former NBC executive Bob Wright and
his family, Autism Speaks has created international events such as "Light It
Up Blue" and the Autism Speaks Walk program, the latter of which has raised
over $305 million. Eighty-five percent of the organization's funds go towards
research, advocacy, programs, and services for both autistic children and
adults. Its “Learn the Signs” public service campaign, in particular, is
credited with raising parental awareness of autism by 50%.
https://www.autismspeaks.org/
Here some books with autism as a subject available for check-out from the
Mercer County Library:
Autism books for children and teens:
After the Worst Thing Happens
by Audrey Vernick. Twelve-year-old Army is reeling after her thoughtlessness
leads to her dog's death, but channels her grief into a plan to help keep the
new neighbors' autistic daughter from wandering away.
Bad Best Friend
by Rachel Vail. Eighth-grader Niki's best friend, Ava, dumps her just as life at
home is becoming more complicated by her brother Danny's behavior and her
mother's refusal to admit Danny is on the autism spectrum.
A Boy Called Bat
by Elana K. Arnold. When his veterinarian mom brings home a stray baby skunk
that needs rehabilitation before it can be placed in a wild animal shelter, Bat,
who has autism, resolves to prove that he is up to the challenge of caring for
the skunk permanently.
The Boy Who Steals Houses
by C. G. Drews. Sam is only fifteen but he and his autistic older brother,
Avery, have been abandoned by every relative he's ever known. Now Sam's trying
to build a new life for them. He survives by breaking into empty houses when
their owners are away, until one day he's caught out when a family returns home.
Can You See Me?
By Libby Scott & Rebecca Westcott. Hiding her struggles on the autism
spectrum from her new classmates at Kingswood Academy, sixth grader Tally
questions her understanding of what normal means when her best friend begins to
feel uncomfortable. Scott has autism.
Funny, You Don't Look Autistic: A Comedian's Guide to Life on the
Spectrum
by Michael McCreary. Stand-up comic and activist Michael McCreary describes how
he was diagnosed with ASD in early childhood and found healing and empowerment
through journaling, as a comedian, and in dispelling misconceptions about
autism.
My Brother Charlie
by Holly Robinson Peete, Ryan Elizabeth Peete and Rodney Peete. From bestselling
author and actress Holly Robinson Peete--a heartwarming story about a boy who
happens to be autistic, based on Holly's son, who has autism. A girl tells what
it is like living with her twin brother who has autism and sometimes finds it
hard to communicate with words, but who, in most ways, is just like any other
boy. Includes authors' note about autism.
The Space We're In
by Katya Balen. Ten-year-old Frank's life revolves around his autistic brother,
five-year-old Max, but after many changes over the course of a year, he
discovers that he loves Max and is proud of him.
The Survival Guide for Kids With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Their
Parents
by Elizabeth Verdick & Elizabeth Reeve, M.D. Offers children and parents a
resource for understanding autism and provides strategies for coping with the
challenges they face.
We Could Be Heroes
by Margaret Finnegan. Fourth-graders Maisie and Hank, who has autism, become
friends as they devise schemes to save a neighbor's dog, Booler, from being tied
to a tree because of his epilepsy.
Autism books for adults:
I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust: A Memoir of Autism and Hope
by Valerie Gilpeer & Emily Grodin. A poet with nonverbal autism and her
mother recount their shared 25-year struggle with unsuccessful therapies before
an astonishing breakthrough led to a communication awakening and remarkable
insights into the neurological science of the autism experience.
Intelligent Love: The Story of Clara Park, Her Autistic Daughter, and the
Myth of the Refrigerator Mother
by Marga Vicedo. A science historian, drawing on previously unexamined archival
sources and firsthand interviews, reveals the story of how one mother challenged
the medical establishment and misconceptions about autistic children and their
parents.
Parenting & Asperger's: A Practical Handbook to Help You and Your
Child Navigate Daily Life
by Michael Uram. Everyday parenting techniques to support kids ages 6 to 16 with
Asperger’s. Raising a child with Asperger’s can be both exciting and
challenging. This book equips you with the confidence and tools to help them
better communicate, understand social cues, and adapt to changes.
The Pattern Seekers: How Autism Drives Human Invention
by Simon Baron-Cohen. The director of Cambridge’s Autism Research Centre
identifies the evolutionary link between autism and ingenuity, revealing that
people on the spectrum have played an essential role in human progress, often at
the expense of their social well-being.
Different... Not Less: Inspiring Stories of Achievement and Successful
Employment from Adults With Autism, Asperger's, and ADHD
by Temple Grandin & Tony Atwood. Temple’s primary mission is to help people
with ASD and ADHD tap into their hidden abilities. Temple chose contributors
from a wide variety of skill sets to show how this can be done. Each individual
tells their own story, in their own words, about their lives, including
relationships, bullying, making eye contact, honing social skills, and eventual
careers.
Launching Your Autistic Youth to Successful Adulthood: Everything You
Need to Know About Promoting Independence and Planning for the Future
by Katharina Manassis. Drawing on her experiences as the mother of a child on
the autism spectrum and a child psychiatrist, Katharina Manassis shares common
transition-related challenges and offers real solutions for each. The book helps
parents and teens plan for every stage of the journey.
Safeguarding Your Child with Autism: Strategies and Tools to Reduce
Risks
by Jack Scott, et al. The authors, who are specialists in special education and
autism safety, a director of a school for students with autism, and a parent of
a child with autism, explain how to keep children and teens with autism spectrum
disorder safe from unintentional injury, focusing on hazards around the house
and at school that pose an immediate danger. They describe information and data
on the risk status of children with autism; ways to approach child safety; how
to teach children with autism to be safe; major risk areas, including drowning,
poisoning, and other hazards, as well as the importance of community
partnerships; safety risks at school, including bullying and the use of physical
restraints, and how to use the Individualized Education Program process to
ensure goals related to safety are included in an educational plan; elopement
and wandering; devices and technology to ensure safety; collaborating with first
responders and other community safety partners; and future directions for
safety.
What Science Tells Us About Autism Spectrum Disorder: Making the Right
Choices for Your Child
by Raphael A. Bernier, Geraldine Dawson & Joel T. Nigg. From leading autism
researchers, this accessible guide helps you put the latest advances to work for
your unique child. Separating fact from fiction about causes, treatments, and
prevention, the book guides you to make lifestyle choices that support the
developing brain. From the impact of sleep, exercise, diet, and technology, to
which type of professional help might be the right fit, the authors cover it all
with expertise and compassion. Learn about the choices you face--and the steps
you can take--to build a happier, healthier life for your child and family.
Right from the Start: A Practical Guide for Helping Young Children with
Autism
by Karin Donahue & Kate Crassons. This book is a comprehensive yet
accessible resource explaining the best practices for teaching young children
with autism, especially in its milder forms. It offers practical, easy-to-use
strategies for building social and emotional skills—strategies that enrich the
learning environment for neurotypical children as well.
The Boy Who Felt Too Much: How a Renowned Neuroscientist and His Son
Changed Our View of Autism Forever
by Lorenz Wagner & Leon Dische Becker. An international bestseller, the
story behind Henry Markram's breakthrough theory about autism, and how a
family's unconditional love led to a scientific paradigm shift. He has set the
goal of decoding all disturbances of the mind within a generation. This quest is
personal for him. The driving force behind his grand ambition has been his son
Kai, who has autism. Raising Kai made Henry Markram question all that he thought
he knew about neuroscience, and then inspired his groundbreaking research that
would upend the conventional wisdom about autism, expressed in his now-famous
theory of Intense World Syndrome.
Come in to (or call) your local branch to find more books and information on
autism this month!
- by Larry M., Acquisitions and Cataloging
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