Books About Autism: 2011

Monday, December 5, 2011

Super Rose by Angela Centofanti

Hope for Kids with Autism in a New Story Book

Author Angela Centofanti has a beautiful daughter named Rose. She is one of the many children in the world who are born with the condition of autism, a neurological disorder that affects a person’s capability to communicate, socialize, empathize, and make sense of the world around them. The author, as all loving mothers would, strives to make her child’s life as fulfilling and as happy as possible.
A comprehensive research program at the Ohio State University Nisonger Center brings the author hope and a chance for her daughter Rose to live a full life. Super Rose is a celebration of this newfound opportunity, an illustrated storybook for beginning readers that teaches children about autism, and how caring and concerned parents, siblings, and medical professionals are striving to give autistic persons a better life.
As autism affects an estimated one in every one hundred ten children all over the world, everybody needs to know about this condition, if only to empathize and understand what the sufferers are going through. Parents with autistic children will also appreciate this informative storybook, lending them a ray of hope for a better life for their own kids.
For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to http://www.Xlibris.com.
About the Author
Angela Centofanti, along with Mark Centofanti co-founded The Growing Rose’s Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes and encourages autism research participation. Their daughter Rose had a life-changing experience while participating in a research study at The Ohio State University Nisonger Center in Columbus, Ohio. Rose had miraculous results and the family is convinced that research is the answer to treat and someday cure autism.
Super Rose * by Angela Centofanti
Publication Date: November 7, 2011
Picture Book; $15.99; 24 pages; 978-1-4653-8925-1
Picture Book Hardcover; $25.99; 24 pages; 978-1-4653-8926-8
Members of the media who wish to review this book may request a complimentary paperback copy by contacting the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7879. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (610) 915-0294 or call (888) 795-4274 x. 7879.
For more information on self-publishing or marketing with Xlibris, visit http://www.Xlibris.com. To receive a free publishing guide, please call (888) 795-4274.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Surviving War, Surviving Autism: A Mother's Life Story By Kim Yen Nguyen

Single Mom of Three Autistic Children Writes Book About Surviving War, Surviving Autism - Press Release

LOS GATOS, Calif., Nov. 21, 2011 — Kim Yen Nguyen has published her first book, an autobiography about the challenges of surviving war, only to fight again for the livelihood of her family years later when autism strikes all three of her children. Touching experiences from the author’s trip down memory lane, including a chance encounter with John F. Kennedy Jr., unconditional love for her children, and the dedication of staff and teachers helped her to achieve an inner strength and enabled her to weather the turbulent storm of a divorce. As a single mom raising three autistic children, she went back to school and earned her pharmacy degree. This book will serve as a source of inspiration to those who face extreme challenges in their lives. A portion of the proceeds from the book will go to Autism Speaks and the Autism Society of America.

This book is published by Robertson Publishing and is available at http://www.rp-author.com/knguyen as well as online through Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Please contact the author for any questions, to schedule interviews, or arrange for book signings.

Contact: Kim Yen Nguyen
Email: kimyennguyenauthor@yahoo.com
Phone: (408) 358-3565

Friday, September 30, 2011

OpEdNews - Article: The Dangers of Not Understanding Autism/Book Excerpt

I have recently been inundated with stories of children who were taken from their parents because they were running for the sake of running. One such story hails out of Calgary Canada and tells of a drug free joyous autistic girl who ran off to play forgetting to circle back for home. Dad called 911 and she was found shortly thereafter completely oblivious to any problems she may have caused. She was apprehended and since the children's aid was not able to help her as she was they chose to drug her – a lot.
Another story comes closer to home and is about a California boy who was tethered to keep him safe while the family was moving. This was reported and the child was removed. (Apparently no one saw that wonderful movie Babies wherein the Mongolians model this type of safe keeping or even bothered to watch most day care centers walking their line up of tethered kids to the park.)
One of my many life goals is to educate the general population and people in positions of authority on what is and isn't 'good for autism'. This is because I lived it.
More @ http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Dangers-of-Not-Underst-by-Lynette-Louise-110926-915.html

Thursday, June 23, 2011

“How to Teach Life Skills to Kids with Autism or Asperger’s” by Jennifer McIlwee Meyers

“How to Teach Life Skills to Kids with Autism or Asperger’s” by Jennifer McIlwee Meyers – A Book Review | Special Happens

There aren’t many books that find themselves on the “Must-Haves” in the mind of many parents, including me. So much literature around therapy, quick go-to guides on behavioral problem solving…so many wonderfully informative books written by some of the most educated individuals in the special needs community – and by parents too. You might not even notice that there aren’t many books written by individuals with Autism or Asperger’s. But there aren’t.

Within the special needs community and through reading various articles, books and essays, I’ve found listening to individuals with higher functioning Autism to be the most enlightening. Everyone is different, every child and adult working through the challenges of Autism is different, yet like much in life, there is a similarity threading through. One of these similarities surrounds the challenges in Autism with life skills. Teaching, learning and retaining the processes in the number of tasks associated in learning life skills may come easy to you or I, but these are one of the many difficulties in the challenge of autism.

More at http://specialhappens.com/2011/06/23/how-to-teach-life-skills-to-kids-with-autism-or-aspergers-by-jennifer-mcilwee-meyers-a-book-review/

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

New Book a Disservice to Individuals with Autism | Autism Key

A new book, The Science of Evil, is certainly not doing any favors for the autism community. Written by Simon Baron-Cohen, a professor of developmental psychology at the University of Cambridge and director of the university’s Autism Research Center, the book has a central premise that evil can be scientifically defined as a lack of empathy. Lack of empathy or a “Theory of Mind” is also described as a core feature of autism. Baron-Cohen writes:

"A theory of mind remains one of the quintessential abilities that makes us human (Whiten, 1993). By theory of mind we mean being able to infer the full range of mental states (beliefs, desires, intentions, imagination, emotions, etc.) that cause action. In brief, having a theory of mind is to be able to reflect on the contents of one’s own and other’s minds."

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Library to Unveil Autism Collection - Cranston, RI Patch

“The Autism Project is thrilled that the Cranston Public Library has agreed to house this collection and that they will become part of the library system so that all families throughout Rhode Island will be able to request them from their local library and have a resource to navigate the complexities of understanding and living with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.” said Joanne G. Quinn, Executive Director of the Autism Project and mother to a child diagnosed with ASD.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Book Review - What’s Gotten Into Us? - By McKay Jenkins - NYTimes.com

We all know by now — don’t we? — that many of the synthetic chemicals in our food, personal-care and cleaning products, toys and household goods are harming not just the environment but ourselves. Body-burden tests, for measuring exposure to chemicals, reveal flame retardants, plasticizers, pesticides and perfluorinated chemicals in the blood of almost every person studied. We see rising rates of some cancers, autoimmune disorders, reproductive illnesses, autism and learning disabilities. Meanwhile, our consumption of synthetic chemicals, a majority of which haven’t been tested for human health impacts, has skyrocketed. A growing number of books make the case that these phenomena are linked.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

A Q&A With Author Priscilla Gilman

A Q&A With Author Priscilla Gilman

Some books you read and forget about before you've even put it down. Some you cast aside midway through. Every now and then, though, you find a rare gift of a book that continues to move you days, weeks (and those really wonderful ones: years) later. Priscilla Gilman's book is certainly one of those rare ones with the power to move a person days and weeks later. It's too early to tell whether that will remain so, but I strongly suspect it will be one that remains a treasured book years from now for me. And sure, I'm biased: I sense a kindred spirit in Priscilla, a kindred love of words, of poets, of language in general, and for the majesty and transport that the specific melding of words by a skilled craftsman can bring a person. But even if you're not an English instructor (or a lover of Wordsworth), I bet you, too, will be touched by Gilman's journey, by her son Benj and how their family comes to terms with Benj's unique issues and gifts and finds a way for them to all excel and find their places to shine.

(her book remains on my ottoman, close by so that I can grab it and read from it again); you can read this lovely Q&A with Priscilla and leave a comment in order to be entered into a drawing to win your very own The Anti-Romantic Child. Kathleen will draw randomly from a bag with commenter's names from this post one week from today (May 16) and I'll do the same for commenters at the two Counterings and two lucky people will have their own copies!

In the meantime, you can find Priscilla at facebook and twitter or at HarperCollins.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Book review: Bad Animals: A Father's Accidental Education in Autism, byJoel Yanofsky

When Montreal writer Joel Yanofsky found out, somewhat unexpectedly, that he was going to be a first-time father at age 42, he envisioned the idealized father-son relationship: going to baseball games together, watching classic movies, swapping stories. Even before the birth, Yanofsky was telling jokes to his partner's expanding belly, communing with his unborn son.
By the time he was a preschooler, Yanofsky's only child would fixate on lining up his toys in exact order, or on a certain song, or on a knock-knock joke, repeating it incessantly. He could erupt into three-hour crying jags. It became increasingly evident that he was not like most other children.
Jonah was given a diagnosis of autism when he was almost 4. Yanofsky's visions of the classic father-son relationship disappeared.
``When you are told your child has autism, it's the future that is taken away,'' he writes in his new memoir, of his thinking at the time. In its place was the worry of whether his son would ever go to high school, drive a car, buy his own clothes, live his own life, be happy. Added to that was a nagging interior mantra he recognized as ignoble but couldn't help thinking anyway: ``Why me?''

Read more: http://www.canada.com/health/Book+review+Animals+Father+Accidental+Education+Autism+Joel+Yanofsky/4691214/story.html#ixzz1Kr0kkD00

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Books by and for Autistic Children - NYTimes.com

Books by and for Autistic Children

By PAMELA PAUL

April is Autism Awareness Month, and given the increase in the number of children with autism spectrum disorders (the rate is in constant dispute, but some estimate that A.S.D. affects as many as 1 in 110 children), a stack of new books for and about autistic children is to be expected.

“Point to Happy” includes a large hand pointer that readers can use to help identify facial expressions depicted in the book’s photographs.

This year, several of the books look noticeably different, shedding the institutional feel of earlier takes on the subject. The mission remains, but the books look like the kinds of books children may actually want to read.

Two new ones specifically for autistic young people are oversized, colorful and interactive. “Point to Happy: A Book for Kids on the Autism Spectrum” by Miriam Smith and Afton Fraser includes a large hand pointer that readers can use to help identify facial expressions depicted in the book’s photographs.

Monday, April 18, 2011

reviews | Special Needs Kids Go Pharm-Free

Library Journal recommends it, and mom bloggers are loving Special Needs Kids Go Pharm-Free. See why with their reviews below. Click to listen to an author interview with It’s Your Health Network.

Sandra Frank, Ed D, RD, LDN says author and dietitian Judy Converse’s work “…is very much needed and ground breaking in the field of dietetics.” See why Special Needs Kids Go Pharm Free and Special Needs Kids Eat Right topped Dr. Frank’s Dietitian’s On Line blog on World Autism Awareness Day for 2011.

Food Sensitivity Journal: “If I were master of the universe, I would make sure every pediatrician and every new parent has access to this book.”

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Jersey City teen author to donate $1 from every book of hers sold to autism - NJ.com

A Jersey City teen author is pitching in to raise awareness about autism.

In July, Alyssa Pierce put out her first children's book, "Caroline and Rebecca: Rebecca Gets into Trouble."

In honor of April being National Autism Awareness Month, Pierce has pledged to donate $1 from every book sale to The Simpson-Baber Foundation for the Autistic Inc., which is based in Bayonne.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Teacher's Book Promotes Autism Awareness - Hillsborough, NJ Patch

The book involves an elementary school teacher whose students are learning about autism awareness and culminates with them visiting the school’s autistic class, Wargo said.

“They learn about how they can walk with these kids,” she said. “They learn about why there are different and to understand what is it to be an autistic kid.”

The most important lessons students and teachers can draw from the book is acceptance and awareness, she said.

A Cutting Edge Therapies a Day Keeps... Contest for This Great Book! - AGE OF AUTISM

The parents of children with autism know that research is a full-time job. For parents with limited time, ability, or resources to do this, Ken Siri and Tony Lyons have compiled the latest in autism research and treatment. Cutting-Edge Therapies for Autism contains contributions from more than eighty experts on a variety of therapies, models, and multifaceted evaluation and treatment centers. Each contributor provides readers with an easy-to-understand description of the topic, including its scientific rationale, development, risks, and benefits. Siri and Lyons include the therapies of the future, focusing on current clinical trials, ongoing research, and the researchers who are striving to better understand autism and find new treatments.

Families face challenge of raising autistic children

Bobbi Barber, co-owner of the center and who also recently authored the book, Autism, Adolescence & Adulthood, Finding the Path to Independence' says "sometimes they are at a loss for what to do or how to do it."

"A lot of [his] friends kids are getting their driver's licenses and they're going to prom and you’re starting to talk about high school things and that's just not in his future," said Karen Howington, whose son just turned 16.

Howington said she has been preparing Drew for the long term but it's just now becoming reality.

Conceived of, written, and designed for children on the autism spectrum, Point to Happy combines a picture book and a pointer to create a breakthrough in reaching children who communicate best through pictures. Ingenious in its simplicity, it was created by a grandmother, Miriam Smith, and mother, Afton Fraser, for Ms Fraser’s son, a young boy on the autism spectrum.

Point to happy. Point to sad. Point to hug. Give me a hug. The parent reads, the child points. It turns reading into a joyful, shared experience. Dozens of friendly photographs are compelling to look at and easy to understand. The text is clear and direct. By pointing to the pictures in the book—moods, activities, everyday objects, the rituals of going to bed and getting ready in the morning—children will learn to convey their wants and needs, their experiences and, most importantly, their feelings.

The simple device of the pointer, with its soft, molded hand on a wand—safety-tested and 100 percent nontoxic and PVC-and phthalate-free—begs to be held and used. And using it—the motor task of holding and pointing, again and again—is an effective tool to help a child focus.

About the Author
Miriam Smith, a consultant at CUNY Media Relations and former magazine writer and designer, is a doting grandmother of seven. She lives in Northport, New York.

Margo Smithwick, daughter of Miriam and sister of Afton, is a professional photographer.

Toni Giannone, who consulted on the book, is a Communication Disorders Specialist CCC/SLP, and founder of The Speech Academy.

Afton Fraser, daughter of Miriam Smith, is a writer, actress, and mother of three, one of whom has autism. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Books About Autism