LibGuides: Autism Spectrum Disorder: Read- What can I learn?

7 Tips for Including Kids with Autism in Family Events*

If you're the parent of an autistic child who struggles to find a way to attend family events without negative comments, criticism, rolled eyes or bad advice, you're not alone. Fortunately, it's not hard to understand why autism might make some family members uncomfortable, and it's even easier to plan your family get-togethers in such a way that you, your child, and your extended family members can all enjoy the experience.

*Note: This article has many helpful tips, although the author does not consistently use people-first language.

Community Connections Newsletter

Formerly known as The Outreach, Community Connections is a quarterly newsletter that assists South Dakotans with disabilities, families and professionals in finding resources, news and upcoming events in their communities.

Going out to Eat

Going out to eat at a restaurant can be difficult for any family, but especially for families of individuals with autism. This page was designed to provide you with tips and resources to help make dining out a successful and enjoyable experience for everyone!

Going to a Movie

Are you taking your child with autism to the movies? Read this article for 5 tips from a mom who's been there.

Social Story for Going to a Movie

Grocery Shopping Intervention for Kids with Autism

The purpose of these trips is not to check things off your list, the purpose is to have a positive experience with your child at the grocery store. They need to know what it feels like to be successful. Obviously, there are days that you need to get your groceries, these are not the trips I'm talking about right now. These are the planned teaching trips to the store.

Additional Tips for the Grocery Store

weConnect Electronic Newsletter

weConnect is a FREE semi-monthly electronic newsletter from South Dakota Parent Connection (SDPC). It provides timely information on topics of interest to families of children with special health care needs, and has notices about upcoming conferences and learning opportunities for families and professionals working with families.

Been There. Done That. Try This!: An Aspie's Guide to Life on Earth
Temple Grandin, Liane Holliday Willey, Anita Lesko, Stephen M. Shore, and many other Aspie mentors, offer their personal guidance on coping with the daily stressors that Aspies have identified as being the most significant, in order of urgency - anxiety, self-esteem, change, meltdowns, depression, friendship, love, and much, much more. Based on years of personal experience, this book is packed with advice from Aspie mentors who have all been there and done that! This is THE inspirational guide to life for young adults, the newly diagnosed, and as a life-long reference for anyone on the spectrum - written by Aspies for Aspies.
Different Like Me: My Book of Autism Heroes
Eight-year-old Quinn, a young boy with Asperger's Syndrome, tells young readers about the achievements and characteristics of his autism heroes, from Albert Einstein, Dian Fossey and Wassily Kandinsky to Lewis Carroll, Benjamin Banneker and Julia Bowman Robinson, among others. All excel in different fields, but are united by the fact that they often found it difficult to fit in-just like Quinn.
The Kids' Guide to Staying Awesome and In Control: Simple Stuff to Help Children Regulate their Emotions and Senses
From breathing exercises, pressure holds and finger pulls, to fidgets, noise-reducing headphones and gum, the book is brimming with fun stuff to help kids feel cool, calm and collected. They will learn how to label difficult feelings, choose the perfect strategies and tools to tackle them, and use these correctly whether at home or at school. The strategies and tools are accompanied by cartoon-style illustrations, and the author includes useful tips for parents and teachers as well as handy visual charts and checklists to track learning and progress. Suitable for children with emotional and sensory processing difficulties aged approximately 7 to 14 years.
It's Raining Cats and Dogs: An Autism Spectrum Guide to the Confusing World of Idioms, Metaphors and Everyday Expressions
It's Raining Cats and Dogs is a witty and stylish insight into the mind of someone with an ASD. It beautifully illustrates why people with ASDs have problems understanding common phrases and idioms that others accept unquestioningly as part of everyday speech. The quirky drawings will entertain and inspire those on the spectrum, giving them the confidence to recognize figures of speech, feel less alienated and even use idioms themselves.
Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Understanding Life Experiences from Early Childhood to Old Age
Outlining how autism presents differently and can hide itself in females and what the likely impact will be for them throughout their lifespan, the book looks at how females with ASD experience diagnosis, childhood, education, adolescence, friendships, sexuality, employment, pregnancy and parenting, and aging. It will provide invaluable guidance for the professionals who support these girls and women and it will offer women with autism a guiding light in interpreting and understanding their own life experiences through the experiences of others.

A Mind Apart: Understanding Children with Autism and Asperger Syndrome
Why would a child refuse to talk about anything but wasp wings-or the color of subway train doors? What does it mean when a nine-year-old asks questions about death hundreds of times a day? And how can parents build a close relationship with a little girl who hates to be touched? In this compassionate book, leading autism authority Dr. Peter Szatmari shows that children with autism spectrum disorders act the way they do because they think in vastly different ways than other people. Dr. Szatmari shares the compelling stories of children he has treated who hear everyday conversation like a foreign language or experience hugs like the clamp of a vise. Understanding this unusual inner world-and appreciating the unique strengths that thinking differently can bestow-will help parents relate to their children more meaningfully, and make the "outer world" a less scary place.
Positive Behavioral Support: Including People with Difficult Behavior in the Community
This strategy-packed resource demonstrates how people with challenging behavior can be fully included at home, at school, and in the community. Based on solid research, it offers state-of-the-art intervention techniques and explores the planning and assistance needed to implement non-aversive inclusion strategies. Compelling case studies that illustrate successful integration make this person- and family-centered book essential for everyone involved with people with difficult behavior.
Thinking in Pictures
In this unprecedented book, Grandin delivers a report from the country of autism. Writing from the dual perspectives of a scientist and an autistic person, she tells us how that country is experienced by its inhabitants and how she managed to breach its boundaries to function in the outside world. What emerges in Thinking in Pictures is the document of an extraordinary human being, one who, in gracefully and lucidly bridging the gulf between her condition and our own, sheds light on the riddle of our common identity.