Eleven-year-old Chelsea explains what autism is, what it is like to live with autism, and how to make friends with an autistic child.

Does your child have a friend, family member or class mate who has autism? Would you like your child or the children in your classroom to understand more about autism? Are you looking for an engaging way to start a dialogue about autism?This book uses a simple ABC format to teach about autism. With delightful illustrations, this book teaches, from a child's perspective, the typical traits that many people with autism share.I invite you to read this story interactively with your child. You can playfully try flapping and rocking with the child in this story. Ask your child to look deeply into your eyes to see if it is uncomfortable for him, too. Encourage discussions of how you or people you love might be like the child in this book. You might compare and contrast how the child in this book is similar or different from a person you know on the spectrum. This book provides wonderful opportunities to discuss how to be a friend of a child with autism. The simple action plan at the conclusion of the book will help give guidance to a child who wants to be a friend of someone on the autistic spectrum. As a pediatric physical therapist, I work with many children on the spectrum. I often see misinformation about autism and well-meaning, but misguided, attempts to interact with people on the spectrum. I believe knowledge helps break down barriers and encourages kindness and patience. Helping children understand autism at a young age is powerful. Reading this book will change the life of your child and the lives of people on the autistic spectrum that your child meets now and in the future.

My Autism Book is a beautifully illustrated picture book that helps parents to explain an autism diagnosis to their child in a sensitive, positive and accurate way. When a child is diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), parents often feel overwhelmed and uncertain about how to communicate the diagnosis to their child. This book is designed to be read with the child as a simple introduction to their diagnosis. Written by a doctor and a children's author, the book is tailored precisely to the needs and experiences of the child with ASD aged 5-9. It explains what an autism diagnosis means and encourages an exploration of the child's likely strengths and differences using clear language that speaks directly to the child. The colourful pictures throughout show how the world looks from the child's perspective and the book ends with a summary checklist to encourage the child to record and discuss how autism affects them.

M. That's what I'd like you to call me please. I'll tell you why later. Welcome to M's world. It's tipsy-turvy, sweet and sour, and the beast of anxiety lurks outside classrooms ready to pounce. M just wants to be like other teenagers her age who always know what to say and what to do. So why does it feel like she lives on a different plane of existence to everyone else? Written by the students of Limpsfield Grange, a school for girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder with communication and interaction difficulties, M is for Autism draws on real life experiences to create a heartfelt and humorous novel that captures the highs and lows of being different in a world of normal.

Logan overhears his grandma tell her friend he has autism, and he asks her, "Autism is...'" She explains it to him in this beautifully illustrated story.Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a disability that, according to new statistics released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on March 29, 2014, affects an estimated 1 out of 68 children (1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls) in the US alone. It is a spectrum disorder because its impact on development can range from mild to severe. The areas of development most affected are social interaction and communication skills, difficulties with verbal and non-verbal communication, and leisure play.Someone wisely said, "If you have met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism." The characteristics are different with each unique individual, and so are the ways to interact, teach, and care for them.You may or may not wish to explain the term autism to your child at a young age, but if you do, I hope this book can help make it easier for you, as it did for me when explaining autism to Logan. His inquisitive mind wanted to know, and once he read this story, even before it was illustrated, he was satisfied with the answer.

The story of two boys, one with autism, one without, who make their friendship work.