Close contact with an autistic person fills some with a fear derived from not understanding. How will I cope with unfamiliar, perhaps unpredictable behaviour? The world Thomas Clements describes can bridge that chasm for the curious outsider looking in. Those who are themselves on the autistic spectrum will find here the reassurance of company in what they face, as will their families and friends. People familiar with his first book, "The Autistic Buddha", already know of Thomas's internal struggles to make sense of himself and the world he encounters - and they have seen his intellectual prowess in action. This further exploration opens a broader window on his disturbing pilgrimage through life, introducing his brother Jack, himself significantly disabled by his own autism. So we have here a tale of two brothers, one intellectually highly capable, the other able to achieve, in conventional terms, very little without help. The book compares and contrasts what they each make of life. How do their ordinary days differ when it comes to what are typically simple issues like food, clothing, family, friends, physical contact with strangers, entertainment, sport, talking with others, routines and order, the noise of life, animals...? And critically, which of these brothers has the happier life? We are not spared the pain they encounter, whether the internal anguish with which they each must battle, or the potential for external attacks from bullies. The writer's overwhelming tone is one of affection for Jack - and for the parents who have had a torrid journey with their two boys, sometimes trying beyond endurance, but laced together also with sparkles of joy and laughter. A lucid, accessible book, written with palpable love, poignantly illustrated with Jack's artwork.

Includes steps to write a similar book, personalized for a child with autism.

This book is different A delightfully illustrated book for school friends or brothers and sisters aged 8-13 of children with autism, it explains the characteristics of autism, explores what it feels like to be a brother or sister of someone with an autistic spectrum disorder, and suggests some approaches to making life more comfortable. This book is different A new, delightfully illustrated book for school friends or brothers and sisters aged 8-13 of children with autism by Fiona Bleach, an accomplished artist and art therapist who has worked in a National Autistic Society school. It explains the characteristics of autism, investigates what it feels like to be a brother or sister of someone with an autistic spectrum disorder, and suggests some approaches to making life more comfortable for everyone. Written with insight and charm, this book offers real and accessible support.

Bridget and Carlton are as close as any sister and brother. But their relationship is particularly special. Carlton has autism and is almost completely nonverbal. He’s smart, funny, creative, and loving. He has immense challenges in speaking full sentences. Bridget’s fierce loyalty to and compassion for her brother led to an unbreakable bond that has helped the siblings cope with divorce and homelessness. Carlton’s devotion to his family is loud and clear, even in his silence. Carlton Hudgens was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at three years old. He didn’t speak or interact with the world around him, except with humming and flapping arms. The diagnosis provided a label, but not an answer. He was considered low-functioning, but all that meant was that there was a laundry list of tasks he couldn’t do, and little recognition of what he could. Carlton’s sister, Bridget, just a year younger, became his protector, sharing their birthdays so that he could open the presents first, taking the blame for a broken toy to spare him from being punished on Christmas Day. She understood that she was living in Carlton’s world, not the other way around. Because Carlton doesn’t speak in full sentences, Bridget has opted to tell his story. “My brother is brilliant in every way,” Bridget says. “He just doesn’t speak like we speak.” When Carlton was five years old, he uttered his first words: “I love you, Mom!” Bridget was elated. That sentence meant that he could hear her, that he could speak, and that she had a chance to reach her ultimate goal of bonding with her brother. Bridget was his protector, but Carlton became Bridget’s savior. When Bridget was eleven years old, she and Carlton went to the public pool. Carlton was a natural swimmer, but Bridget couldn’t swim at all. As the two played a game in the shallow end, they drifted closer to the deep end. Bridget panicked, swallowing water and crying for help. Carlton swam to her and pulled her to safety. No longer was he different, with special needs, or “that kid with autism.” To Bridget, he was the big brother who had just saved her. Later on, he became a savior to others. Autism didn’t stop him feeling compassion and love. It just made it harder for him to express those emotions. Their parents’ divorce and the subsequent remarriage of their mother created a more stable life for Carlton, but Bridget had a hard time accepting the good changes. She had put herself second for so long, it was difficult to allow an adult to take over the care of her brother. By early adulthood, Bridget began to realize that the most fulfilling part of her life was forming a deeper connection with Carlton—an unbreakable bond that would shape brother and sister for the rest of their lives. It was Carlton’s influence that led to her passion for helping others with special needs.

Sensitively written stories encourage preschool-age and early-grade children to explore their feelings, deal with problems that trouble them, and understand others who have problems of their own.

@page { margin: 2cm } p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm } a:link { color: #0000ff } Thomas Clements has always been an outsider, preferring to fantasise about the exotic East and lose himself amongst the chaotic sights, sounds and smells of London’s Chinatown rather than face the reality of his existence in Western suburbia. Despite doing badly at school, his natural talent for memorising details and his extraordinary ability to master foreign languages lands him a place at university. But this is not a habitat in which he thrives. Following a stint in a psychiatric ward while on his year abroad in Germany, he secretly drops out from his studies, and from life. When his parents receive an invitation to Clement’s graduation ceremony, where they will discover their son has lied all along and has not attained a degree after all, he does what he always does. He hatches a plan to run away, rather than face reality. This time to a job teaching English in rural China, where he can hide from everyone and everything. But wherever Clements runs, things go from bad to worse: the teaching isn’t what he thought it would be, modern China is not as romantic as he had imagined, people he counts on as friends ultimately move on, and his first encounter with a girl leaves him questioning his identity as a man. It doesn’t matter where Clements tries to hide in the world, his anxiety and depression always get the better of him. Now he finally realises he has nowhere in the world to run, will Clements find a way to gain inner peace before he self-destructs? The Autistic Buddha is a stunning tale of the author’s extraordinary outer and inner journeys to make sense of the world – his world – which is at the same time bravely honest, despairing and inspiring.

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. "Charlie has autism. His brain works in a special way. It's harder for him to make friends. Or show his true feelings. Or stay safe." But as his big sister tells us, for everything that Charlie can't do well, there are plenty more things that he's good at. He knows the names of all the American presidents. He knows stuff about airplanes. And he can even play the piano better than anyone he knows.Actress and national autism spokesperson Holly Robinson Peete collaborates with her daughter on this book based on Holly's 10-year-old son, who has autism.