My friend with Autism
Enhanced edition with free CD of coloring pages
Written by Beverly Bishop, illustrated by Craig Bishop
Future Horizons, Texas, 2011.
My friend with autism is written in a friendly tone and there are bright illustrations throughout. It is essentially written for school children to encourage better understanding and knowledge of peers with autism. The story is narrated from a child’s perspective and begins with “I have a friend with autism. He is good at many things”. The friend with autism is described in a positive manner and the theme of friendship is developed. The book addresses sensory sensitivity, communication differences, playtime and provides children with an example of what this might be like for a child with autism.
The setting is at school and teachers who have this book at hand can read it to develop student understanding through the example of the narrator, “I can help him by showing him how well I sit quietly”.
Adults will be able to refer to the section at the end of the book with page-by-page notes and helpful thumbprint illustrations for further information and overview.
Find also 18 symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder, 10 Quick strategies for helping a child with Autism and Recommended reading, with thumbprints of book covers. The accompanying CD contains additional colouring pages of material from the book.
Review by:
Jillian Rattray
AWCH Librarian
April 2013
