Books

Recommended Book List

The BYS – Autism Therapy Services staff has compiled a collection of books for friends and family members of individuals on the Autism spectrum.

This book list is not affiliated to BY YOUR SIDE in any way. These are just recommendations. Most books are available in bookstores and online sites such as Ebay and Amazon.

Autism and Toilet Training Made Easier

December 21, 2013 – By Trevor Lewis

Highly anticipated, the booklet ‘Autism and Toilet Training Made Easier’ is the new toilet training guide that every parent or support person of a child who has Autism, or another developmental disability and is currently approaching the toilet training process needs to have. Trevor Lewis, an experienced and qualified Behaviour Specialist, Author, and Parent, has written this guide to make toilet training a child with autism a fast, easy and less stressful experience. His first toilet training booklet ‘Toilet Training Using the Dior Method’ has sold well over 3000 copies, and many of those who used these strategies had their child toilet trained in just days! After having assisted many different Parents to get their child toilet trained when all others had failed to do so, he now brings his expertise and experience to this easy to follow and implement toilet training guide.

Ready, Set, Potty! Toilet Training for Children with Autism and Other Developmental Disorders

August 15, 2010 – by Brend Patts

Potty training a child with developmental disorders can present a vast array of challenges, many of which are not associated with teaching a neurotypical child how to use a potty. In this book, Brenda Batts overcomes difficulties and provides tried and tested methods that really work, tailored to each individual child. Bursting with ideas on how to see past conventional strategies and adapt toilet training to suit your child, this book outlines methods that have helped even the most despairing of parents and caregivers.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising Kids on the Spectrum: 101 Inspirational Stories for Parents of Children with Autism and Asperger’s

April 2, 2013 – by Rebecca Dr. Landa (Author), Mary Beth Marsden (Author), Nancy Burrows (Author), Amy Newmark (Author) With its 101 stories from other parents and experts, this book will comfort, encourage, and uplift parents of children with autism and Asperger’s. If you are the parent of a child – from newborn to college age – with autism or Asperger’s, you will find support, advice, and insight in these 101 stories from other parents and experts. Stories cover everything from the serious side and the challenges, to the lighter side and the positives, of having a special child on the autism spectrum.

Temple Talks about Autism and Sensory Issues: The World’s Leading Expert on Autism Shares Her Advice and Experiences

April 4, 2015 – by Dr. Temple Grandin

It’s your pocket guide to Temple Grandin; a great introduction to her thoughts and advice on both autism and sensory issues! Dr. Temple Grandin is a doctor of animal science, a professor at Colorado State University, a best-selling author, an autism activist, and a consultant on animal behavior. She also invented the “squeeze machine”, a device to calm the sensory systems of those on the autism spectrum. The subject of an award-winning, 2010 biographical film, Temple Grandin, she also was listed in the Time 100 list of the one hundred most influential people in the world in the “Heroes” category. Have you even wanted to talk to Temple about the sensory issues people with autism, Asperger’s, PDD and Sensory Processing Disorder deal with? Here, in this handy reference book, Temple gives a overview of what it is like to have autism and sensory difficulties, tells how she overcame her sensory issues, gives useful tips, then answers your questions in an easy to reference Q&A

When My Autism Get Too Big!

July 8, 2013 – by Kari Dunn Burn, Foreward by Brend Smith Myles, PhD Worry and anxiety are on an upswing. In fact, anxiety is the most frequent of all mental disorders in children. High levels of stress and big emotions related to social situations, sensory issues, or general frustration are common in children who live with anxiety. Such stress can lead to a loss of control, resulting in aggressive behavior, such as screaming, throwing things or even hurting someone. Prolonged anxiety can also seriously impact success in academic achievement and cause children to avoid social and extracurricular activities. Now with a special section on evidence-based teaching activities for parents and teachers alike, this bestselling children s classic just became even better and more relevant. Engaging and easy to read, this illustrated children s book is filled with opportunities for children to participate in developing their own self-calming strategies. Children who use the simple strategies in this charming book, illustrated by the author, will find themselves relaxed and ready to focus on work or play!

Different . . . Not Less: Inspiring Stories of Achievement and Successful Employment from Adults with Autism, Asperger’s, and ADHD

April 16, 2012 – by Temple Grandin This book is a compilation of success stories from adults with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. Each shares what helped them during their childhood and young lives that made them the independent adults they are today. One of the most important missions Temple Grandin has is making sure people with autism and Asperger’s make something of their lives. As Temple says quite bluntly, “Being on Social Security is NOT a job choice.” These unique individuals often have great potential in parts of their minds that neurotypicals never even start to tap. This needs to be shared with the world. However, in order to share their hidden genius, they have to overcome many social obstacles. The point of this groundbreaking work is – it is possible, and it is WORTH it. Let these crusaders, handpicked by Temple herself, show how it can be done. Let this work by Dr. Temple Grandin inspire you to your true potential. You will soon see why it means so much to her.

Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids

May 15, 2006 – by Carol McCloud Through simple prose and vivid illustrations, this heartwarming book encourages positive behavior as children see how rewarding it is to express daily kindness, appreciation, and love. Bucket filling and dipping are effective metaphors for understanding the effects of our actions and words on the well being of others and ourselves.

All My Stripes: A Story for Children with Autism

March 22, 2015 – by Shaina Rudolph (Author), Danielle Royer (Author), Jennifer Zivion (Illustrator) This is the story of Zane, a zebra with autism, who worries that his differences make him stand out from his peers. With careful guidance from his mother, Zane learns that autism is only one of many qualities that make him special. Contains a Note to Parents by Drew Coman, PhD, and Ellen Braaten, PhD, as well as a Foreword by Alison Singer, President of the Autism Science Foundation.

Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s

September 9, 2008 – by John Elder Robison (Author) Ever since he was young, John Robison longed to connect with other people, but by the time he was a teenager, his odd habits—an inclination to blurt out non sequiturs, avoid eye contact, dismantle radios, and dig five-foot holes (and stick his younger brother, Augusten Burroughs, in them)—had earned him the label “social deviant.” It was not until he was forty that he was diagnosed with a form of autism called Asperger’s syndrome. That understanding transformed the way he saw himself—and the world. A born storyteller, Robison has written a moving, darkly funny memoir about a life that has taken him from developing exploding guitars for KISS to building a family of his own. It’s a strange, sly, indelible account—sometimes alien yet always deeply human.

1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism or Asperger’s

January 1, 2010 – by Veronica Zysk (Author), Ellen Notbohm (Author) Winner of a Silver medal in the Independent Publishers Book Awards and Learning Magazine’s Teachers Choice Award, 1001 Great Ideas has been a treasured resource in the autism community since 2004. In this expanded second edition, Ellen Notbohm (best-selling author of the revolutionary book Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew) and Veronica Zysk (award-winning author and former editor of Autism Asperger’s Digest magazine) present parents and educators with over 1800 ideas try-it-now tips, eye-opening advice, and grassroots strategies. More than 600 fresh ideas join tried and true tactics from the original edition, offering modifications for older kids, honing in on Asperger’s challenges, and enhancing already-effective ways to help your child or student achieve success at home, in school, and in the community. This one-stop-shop of solutions, explanations, and strategies guides the reader to quickly find ideas that speak to the variety of developmental levels, learning styles, and abilities inherent in children with autism and Asperger’s.

NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity

August 25, 2015 – by Steve Silberman (Author) What is autism? A lifelong disability, or a naturally occurring form of cognitive difference akin to certain forms of genius? In truth, it is all of these things and more—and the future of our society depends on our understanding it. WIRED reporter Steve Silberman unearths the secret history of autism, long suppressed by the same clinicians who became famous for discovering it, and finds surprising answers to the crucial question of why the number of diagnoses has soared in recent years. Going back to the earliest days of autism research and chronicling the brave and lonely journey of autistic people and their families through the decades, Silberman provides long-sought solutions to the autism puzzle, while mapping out a path for our society toward a more humane world in which people with learning differences and those who love them have access to the resources they need to live happier, healthier, more secure, and more meaningful lives. Along the way, he reveals the untold story of Hans Asperger, the father of Asperger’s syndrome, whose “little professors” were targeted by the darkest social-engineering experiment in human history; exposes the covert campaign by child psychiatrist Leo Kanner to suppress knowledge of the autism spectrum for fifty years; and casts light on the growing movement of “neurodiversity” activists seeking respect, support, technological innovation, accommodations in the workplace and in education, and the right to self-determination for those with cognitive differences.

I Just Don’t Like the Sound of No! My Story About Accepting No for an Answer and Disagreeing the Right Way! (Best Me I Can Be)

August 15, 2011 – by Julia Cook (Author), Kelsey De Weerd (Illustrator) “No” is RJ’s least favorite word . . . and he tries his best to convince his dad, his mom, and his teacher to turn No into Maybe or We ll see or Later or I ll think about it. Even though he doesn t have much success, RJ keeps arguing until his teacher suggests that he try to join her classroom s Say YES to NO Club. If RJ can learn how to accept No for an answer and to disagree appropriately with his teacher and parents, he can add his name to the club s Star Board. RJ finds that lots of praise and some rewards come his way when he uses these skills the right way! Author Julia Cook helps K-6 readers laugh and learn along with RJ as he understands the benefits of demonstrating these social skills both at home and in school. Tips for parents and educators on how to teach and encourage kids to use the skills of accepting No for an answer and disagreeing appropriately are included in the book. I Just Don t Like the Sound of NO! is another title in the BEST ME I Can Be! series of books from the Boys Town Press to teach children social skills that can make home life happier and school more successful. This book is also available with an accompanying CD audio book, read by the author. Winner of the 2011 MOM’s Choice Award Honoring Excellence and the National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval.

I Am Utterly Unique: Celebrating the Strengths of Children with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism

June 6, 2006 – by Marie Larson (Author), Vivian Strand (Illustrator) Discover the unique characteristics and abilities of children with Asperger Syndrome and high-functioning autism from A to Z. This book, laid out in an A-to-Z format, celebrates the extraordinary gifts and unique perspectives that children with ASD possess. Each page of this playful alphabet book presents one of the children s many talents and abilities. The kid-friendly illustrations and clever text create a positive portrayal of children with ASD.

Books

Recommended Book List​

Recommended Book List