Customer Reviews

Autism Life Skills: From Communication and Safety to Self-Esteem and More - 10 Essential AbilitiesEvery Child Needs and Deserves to Learn

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By interviewing adults with autism about what essential skills they feel are important to develop, Chantal provides invaluable insights for parents and professionals. Her advice is practical. Her understanding of autistic people is remarkably respectful. Her tips can be put into practice right away, no matter the age of the person on the spectrum. Who knew that teaching a child to order at a restaurant could carry over to more fundamental life lessons?! She includes suggestions from a wide range of experts, as well as drawing from her personal experience. This is a great resource!

As a parent and autism advocate, I found this revealing look into the perspectives of various individuals with autism fascinating and enlightening. These unique views are presented along with practical tips and guidelines for implementing important life skills. The outlined techniques will fully equip your loved one with the appropriate tools to safely navigate life with self-confidence. I especially appreciated the section on pursuing interests, as there are so many talented, bright individuals with autism who have so much to contribute. This is another well-written, fabulous resource from Chantal Sicile-Kira.

All of Chantal Sicile-Kira's books are valuable resources for anyone impacted by autism (or seeking to better understand it), but "Autism Life Skills" is an especially exciting addition. As our population of autism-spectrum kids grows older, becoming teens and young adults, autism awareness is becoming a necessity. For those on the spectrum, it is so important to have the tools to better achieve communication, self-advocacy, and independence. Clear, direct, and filled with invaluable tips and insights, "Life Skills" provides all of the above.

Over the last five years, I have been trying to find out as much as I can about autism,hoping to find something to help my grandson. Many articles, books etc. say autism is a spectrum disorder and each person is different. This book, for the first time, explained to me what problems autistic indivduals have- regardless of their position on the spectrum.
Once you understand the "why" behind their behaviors, it becomes much easier to work with them.
The author addresses those on all parts of the spectrum and gives many practical tips. She uses input from many austistic people as well as her own experience as a parent of an autistic child.
This is the best book I've read on the subject. I highly recommend it.

...then talk to somebody who is on the autism/Asperger's (a/A) spectrum! A mistake that many neurotypicals (NT) make is to speak for people with autism and to speculate about a condition that they [NT] don't have.

What I liked about this particular book is that it does offer insight from the perspective of people who have autism. Good guidelines for instruction in various safety and personal matters are included. It is an empowering book that is bound to bolster self confidence for all on the spectrum and those interested in learning about autism.

As I began my journey through the world of special education this was a great book to turn to for insight and information. It was very candid. Easy to read. Easy to understand. I feel that it is a must read for any student planning on teaching special ed. and any parent, whether the parent of an ASD child or not. It has great, every day skills needed to make it through the world. I think it is sad, that we need parenting books like this but it is definitely a product of our making. I think personally we all need to slow down a bit and pay attention to our children; I think this book gives some real practical every day solutions, in black and white, for a parent or student of any ability to read and comprehend.

I have read the whole book and have been able to apply several suggestions. It has been most helpful.

There is surprisingly little data from the scientific community about how individuals with autism develop life skills. So Chantal Sicile-Kira took it upon herself to interview adolescents and adults with autism, including her own son, and used their answers to identify specific goals. This book is both practical and emotionally powerful, as the voices of individuals with autism express their hopes and dreams. The author writes from a mother's point of view, so the book also has the intimacy of chatting with a friend who has BTDT. I can't wait to read her next book!

A little focused on the author, but overall a good helpful guide for anyone wanting to learn basics about children with Autism. I bought 8 copies to gift to my assistants & principal.