The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders (and Their Parents)

Gr 3 Up—Verdick and Reeve, both mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder, are direct, truthful, and effective in their delivery, and they use their own experiences to inform readers about how to deal with the vagaries of life with ASD. They open with a brief introduction first to children and then to the adults who should be reading with them. In the first section, the authors give instructive background information but they do not go into too many details, keeping the text actively moving forward. Subsequent sections offer a ton of advice: what to do at school, at home, with siblings, about eating habits, and, of course, the vitally important chapter on "poop" and "pee." Throughout the book, the authors include examples of real children with real problems and their attempts at coming up with solutions. One difference between this book and many other self-help titles is that these children do not always solve their problems; sometimes at the end of the example, they still don't like trying new foods, or they still have to work hard to make themselves try something new. The youngsters who are profiled represent multiple races and both genders. The format is colorful, with primary colors playing a large role in the layout of each page. This volume could become a treasured resource for families looking for help in successfully working through some of the problems faced by higher-functioning children with ASD. Buy two copies; one is sure to get worn out with use.—Wendy Smith-D'Arezzo, Loyola College, Baltimore, MD