Kids Across The Spectrums

An ethnographic study of diverse children on the autism spectrum and the role of media and technology in their everyday lives. In spite of widespread assumptions that young people on the autism spectrum have a “natural” attraction to technology—a premise that leads to significant speculation about how media helps or harms them—relatively little research actually exists about their everyday tech use. In Kids Across the Spectrums, Meryl Alper fills this gap with the first book-length ethnography of the digital lives of autistic young people. Based on research with more than sixty neurodivergent children from an array of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, Kids Across the Spectrums delves into three overlapping areas of their media usage: cultural belonging, social relationships, and physical embodiment. Alper’s work demonstrates that what autistic youth do with technology is not radically different from their non-autistic peers. However, significant social and health inequalities—including limited recreational programs, unsafe neighborhoods, and challenges obtaining appropriate therapeutic services—spill over into their media habits. With an emphasis on what autistic children bring to media as opposed to what they supposedly lack socially, Alper argues that their relationships do not exist outside of how communication technologies affect sociality, nor beyond the boundaries of stigmatization and society writ large. Finally, she offers practical suggestions for the education, healthcare, and technology sectors to promote equity, inclusion, access, and justice for autistic kids at home, at school, and in their communities.

"This book critiques and complicates the stereotypes of autistic youth by presenting the first in-depth ethnographic study of their everyday uses of media and technology"--

The how and why of teaching literacy skills to children with autism

Maureen F. Morrell and Ann Palmer are raising two very different children: Justin, a whirlwind of activity and mood swings, who is supervised in a residential farm community, and Eric, quiet and passive, who lives independently at college. The authors give an account of the striking similarities as well as the stark differences in their experiences of parenting children at opposite extremes of the autism spectrum. The two mothers speak openly about their children's diagnosis and early childhood through to adolescence, young adulthood and the day they leave home. They give a moving account of the challenges they faced and the surprising consolations they found along their sons' very different paths in life. Through their friendship and two decades of shared experiences of parenting an ASD child, each has gained a clear understanding of her own strengths and limitations, as well as those of her child. Parenting Across the Autism Spectrum offers a personal perspective and practical guidance for parents at the start of their journey with autism, especially those whose children are newly diagnosed. It also provides useful insights for professionals working with individuals across the autism spectrum and their families. The book was elected the 2007 Autism Society of America's Outstanding Literary Work of the Year.

Expert author Elizabeth Ives Field combines over four decades of working in the autism field to provide functional, in-depth teaching strategies for children on the spectrum who struggle with communication. Incorporating descriptions of composite children at different developmental stages, this book sets out individual goals and therapy approaches for children who may have no speech, moderately functional speech or echolalia, as well as for highly verbal individuals who may not always use appropriate language. Covering a wide range of interventions that address communication and the related areas of independence and social behavior, the purpose of each goal is to make progress toward the child's maximum potential. This book sets out skills that are developmentally appropriate and that will be immediately useful to help children express themselves more effectively and build relationships with others.

This book looks at what it feels like to be an autistic parent, offering valuable insights, knowledge and wisdom on parenting autistic and non-autistic children. Three mothers reflect on their experiences of growing up as undiagnosed autistics, venturing into and embracing motherhood, and connecting with their children in a unique and powerful way. They offer advice on overcoming the challenges of parenting when you are autistic, such as socialising with other parents or sensory issues that come with excessive touch. Reflecting on their own experiences, they also emphasize the positives of being an autistic parent to an autistic child, such as understanding of why their child is struggling or the open-mindedness that can come from not being constrained by societal norms. They also explain how out-of-the-box thinking leads to creative parenting of non-autistic children, forming strong and loving bonds. Full of wit and warm advice, this book empowers autistic parents and reassures them that autism is a strength in raising their children with love, knowledge and experience, while also giving non-autistic parents and professionals a fresh perspective on helping autistic children to thrive.

Exceptional Minds provides a powerful new way of thinking about autism and education, giving the reader the tools to see past student deficits and recognize the potential to learn and thrive. You will read about the practical and inexpensive techniques and strategies, along with profiles of leaders in autism education who have shaped the field.