Top Ten Tips: A Survival Guide for Families with Children on the Autism Spectrum by Teresa A. Cardon, M.A., CCC-SLP.

(XFM Cardo 2008)

I get by with a little help… Do you ever feel like you’re in this parenting thing alone? Like no one understands what you’re going through? Parenting children on the autism spectrum is an adventure with countless twists and turns. However, with a little help from 44 fellow parents and professionals your daily journey can be a little less bumpy. Top Ten Tips offers 520 practical, tried-and-true tips. The book is organized so that you don’t have to read through theories or lengthy descriptions – it is all practical; short and sweet. The stuff you want to know NOW! The book is broken down into nine chapters with topics ranging from family outings, holidays, and frequent activities (bath time, meal time, etc.). This at-your-fingertips tool will help families with a child on the autism spectrum navigate their way through everyday activities and occurrences in. Contributors include speech language therapists, occupational therapists, autism experts, parents, and individuals on the spectrum.

If available, item can be checked out from the resource room at no cost.

Something Different About Dad: How to Live With Your Asperger’s Parent by John Swogger.

XBM Evans 2011

Growing up with a parent on the autistic spectrum can be difficult, and children may often feel confused and worried by the fact that their parent is different thanothers. This positive book takes an honest look at how Asperger’s Syndrome can affect a family when a parent is on the spectrum, and reassures young people that it’s ok to have a parent who is different. Following the story of Sophie and Daniel whose dad, Mark, has Asperger Syndrome, the book reveals the family’s journey from initial diagnosis to gradual acceptance of the fact that there is something different about Dad. Sophie and Daniel learn the reasons behind their dad’s problems with communication, his social and emotional difficulties, and the issues caused by his inflexibility of thought, sensory and motor skills, and anxiety. They also come to recognize his positive attributes, including his loyalty, punctuality, and his ability to help with homework. The warm, funny story emphasizes how love within a family can overcome all difficulties, looking at sensitive issues in a lighthearted, yet reassuring manner.

If available, item can be checked out from the resource room at no cost.

My Parent Has an Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Workbook for Children & Teens by Barbara R. Lester.

XFM Leste 2011

The workbook has been designed with precisely this purpose in mind. It will strengthen relationships between parents with ASDs and their children by facilitating understanding of behavior and situations that all the family will previously have noticed but not understood, and shows how to develop effective problem solving strategies. Chapters of this book cover everything from dealing with the initial diagnosis to understanding special interests, difficulties with social skills and figures of speech, and the need for rules and routines. Every chapter concludes with a worksheet for parent and child to complete together, which encourages mutual understanding and fosters healthy relationships.

If available, item can be checked out from the resource room at no cost.

Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Cline, MD and Jim Fay.

(XFM Cline 2006)

If available, item can be checked out from the resource room at no cost.

Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid by Gina Gallagher and Patricia Konjoian.

(XFM Galla 2010)

A survival guide for ordinary parents of special children. Pp. 267.

If available, item can be checked out from the resource room at no cost.

Raising Resilient Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Strategies for Maximizing Their Strengths, Coping with Adversity, and Developing a Social Mindset by Dr. Robert Brooks, Sam Goldstein.

(XFM Brook 2012)

In this book, noted psychologists and bestselling authors Dr. Goldstein and Dr. Brooks teach you the strategies and mindset necessary to help your child develop strength, hope, and optimism. This is the first approach for autism spectrum disorders based in the extremely popular field of positive psychology.

If available, item can be checked out from the resource room at no cost.

The Sibling Slam Book (2006) by Don Meyer.

Don Meyer invited together a group of 80 teenagers, from all over the United States and abroad, to talk about what it’s like to have a brother or sister with special needs. Their unedited words are found in The Sibling Slam Book, a brutally honest, non-PC look at the lives, experiences, and opinions of siblings without disabilities. Pp. 152.

If available, item can be checked out from the resource room at no cost.

Views from Our Shoes edited by Donald Meyer.

(XFM Meyer 1997)

In this book, 45 siblings share their experiences as the brother or sister of someone with a disability. Their personal tales introduce young siblings to others like them and allow them to compare experiences. A glossary of disabilities provides easy-to-understand definitions of many of the conditions mentioned. Pp. 114.

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Autism Tomorrow to Help Your Child Thrive in the Real World by Karen L Simmons and Bill Davis.

(XFM Simmo 2010)

In this book you will learn  about estate planning, independent living, nutrition, fitness, employment, safety, sexuality, puberty, dating, bullying, reading, social skills, and communication. Pp. 225.

If available, item can be checked out from the resource room at no cost.

Autism & the Grandparent Connection by Jennifer Krumins.

(XFM Krumi 2010)

This book provides practical ways to understand and help your grandchildren with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Pp. 234.

If available, item can be checked out from the resource room at no cost.

Family Routines to Make Your Household Run Smoothly

(XFM Famil 2010)

This book discusses routines, their importance and how to start them.

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Embarrassed Often, Ashamed Never by Lisa B. Eilliot.

(XFM Ellio 2002)

The author, the mother of a young boy with Asperger Syndrome, gives us a rare glimpse of the ups and downs of family life with an individual who has autism spectrum disorder. From swim meets to Chinese restaurants, from school to church, to birthday parties, and everything in between, the reader is let into the everyday lives of the Elliott family. The episodes in the book all illustrate the basic tenet of this charming book – while living with a child with autism spectrum disorder often leads to embarrassing moments, nobody ever needs to be ashamed. Pp. 148.

If available, item can be checked out from the resource room at no cost.

Helping Your Anxious Child by Ronald M. Rapee, Ann Wignall, Susan H. Spence, Vanessa Cobham, and Heidi Lynedham.

(XFM Rapee 2008)

10 percent of children have excessive fears and worries–phobias, separation anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder–that can hold them back and keep them from fully enjoying childhood. If your child suffers from any of these forms of anxiety, the program in this book offers practical, scientifically proven tools that can help. Pp 238.

If available, item can be checked out from the resource room at no cost.