It can be tricky to explain to typical children why exactly our kids with autism are different and what autism means. Some families may feel comfortable explaining autism to others and some may prefer to keep it private. It is really up to the family. For some, in combination with sit-down talks, books and social stories are an excellent tool to reach out to a child on their level and teach them what may otherwise be a sensitive topic.

There is an adorable children’s book called “Since We’re Friends” by Celeste Shally. The story is about a boy that has a friend, Matt, who has autism. The story is told from the boy’s point of view. The boy explains to the reader that his friend Matt has autism and how this can affect his behavior. Even better, the boy explains what he and his friend Matt like to do together and why, the different places they like to go together and why they are such good friends. It’s a touching, child-friendly, yet honest perspective of how this little boy views Matt and why he encompasses such genuine, loyal friendship towards him. We love this book because it focuses on the POSITIVE and reminds us that there are good kids out there. Sure, there are mean kids, but there are GOOD kids that will love our children for who they are.

Amazon and Barnes and Noble will let you take a peek at a couple of the pages before you purchase the book:

http://www.amazon.com/Since-Were-Friends-Autism-Picture/dp/0979471303/re...

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Since-Were-Friends/Celeste-Shally/e/978...

“Since We’re Friends” could be a great gift for your child’s teacher, other family members, neighbors and friends. This book may not be 100% perfect for you and your family. That is okay! You can use this book as an example to help with writing your very own personalized book for your child. You can use digital photos and clip art and make it into a book or social story format. There are many online companies that will let you upload photos and use easy software to create your very own book with a variety of binding and cover options. Try doing an internet search for “photo book” and you will get many options. The possibilities are really endless!

Enjoy checking out “Since We’re Friends” and sharing it with others!

~Laura & Amanda
KidSpeak, LLC
www.kidspeakdallas.com