A Is for Autism F Is for Friend: A Kid's Book for Making Friends with a Child Who Has Autism [Paperback]

Joanna L. Keating-Velasco (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1931282439 | ISBN-13: 978-1931282437 | Publication Date: April 1, 2007 | Edition: 1

Get an inside look at the life of Chelsea, a young girl who has severe autism. In this book, Chelsea walks us through her day, including trips to the playground and park, and explains that although she sees other kids playing and wants to join them, social interaction can be tricky for her. In sharing some of her other behaviors and challenges, Chelsea compares them with issues that all kids face such as playing at recess. By demystifying her autism, she underscores the many things she and her schoolmates have in common, thus prompting a typical child to think, Hey, I experience that, too! A Is for Autism, F Is for Friend provides an enjoyable, discussion-oriented format for teaching youth about autism.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

JOANNA KEATING-VELASCO lives in Placentia in Orange County, California. She is married and has one daughter. Joanna has a degree in business administration. She enjoys trying to understand the unique qualities of children with autism and has worked as an instructional aide (independence facilitator) for seven years in programs for children, teens and adults with autism.

Product Details

• Paperback: 54 pages
• Publisher: Autism Asperger Publishing Company; 1 edition (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931282439
• ISBN-13: 978-1931282437
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #613,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A is for Awesome!, June 2, 2007

By 

R. Harmon (Placentia, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Is for Autism F Is for Friend: A Kid's Book for Making Friends with a Child Who Has Autism (Paperback)

A Is for Autism, F is for Friend is a great read for people of all ages. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about Autism definitely check out this book! Easy to follow & fun too, this would be an excellent book for the classroom or to share with your kids at home. My favorite part of this book is that it gives so many great examples that really shine light on what it might be like to have Autism. I am currently working on my Masters in Counseling and am adding this book to my resources and sharing it with others in my program. I know I will use this book when working with families that have a member dealing with Autism. Thank you for this wonderful book!!! I highly recommend it!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book for My Class Library!, May 7, 2007

By 

M. Tripp - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Is for Autism F Is for Friend: A Kid's Book for Making Friends with a Child Who Has Autism (Paperback)

Finally, a book that will break down the day to day struggles of a child with autism into comprehensible bites. Ms. Velasco presents information that is vital to all students (and teachers) to understand the actions of an autistic child. When an autistic child enters the classroom, it can be distracting to the other students. "A is for Autism" helps explain why autistic students sometimes act differently than their classmates. This book went straight into my classroom library and has been checked out by students ever since.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Autism Resource for Kids, April 25, 2007

By 

Pat (Anaheim, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Is for Autism F Is for Friend: A Kid's Book for Making Friends with a Child Who Has Autism (Paperback)

This book provides a wonderful introduction to autism for children and adolescents. The main character, eleven year old Chelsea, takes us inside her world of autism. She guides readers through the challenges she faces each day and facets that are both usual and special about her life, allowing us to better understand this mysterious disorder from her point of view. She helps kids to see that each child with autism has different talents and abilities, just as we all have different talents and abilities. We may be different but we are also very much the same. Friendships can begin and grow when we try to better understand those things that make us different.

While this book was written with kids in mind, it held my interest and I definitely learned a lot more about the disorder than I knew before. I would suggest this book for anyone who is interested in finding out more about autism or reaching out to someone who happens to be autistic. I definitely recommend this book for children and youth as well as classroom discussion.