I have an autistic son and though I was familiar with most of the information in this book, it still made me aware of other alternatives for teachers. It is geared more for the classroom, or schools of autistic children than parents.
The information is clear and concise and a great guide for those who deal with those with autism.

I highly recommend this book for teachers and other staff. ( )

Although this book appears to be geared more toward teachers, there are sections for the parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Chapter seven specifically addresses the affect that having an autistic child has on the parents, as well as any brothers and sisters who don't have autism. There are tips on how to cope and how each family member can help the autistic child, thereby helping themselves.

One of the many nuggets of information to remember in this book is that teachers and parents can't expect doctors to be able to predict just how disabled the autistic child will be when that child is at the preschool and elementary school age. Often doctors can't. Parents may have to wait years to find out if their child will always need to be cared for by others, can be more or less independent, or -- in the best case -- you won't be able to tell him or her apart from their peers who don't have Autistic Spectrum Disorder. That must be very stressful for the family and the teachers. Still, there's hope.

This book explains ways that autistic children can be taught even if they can't speak, from preschool age through high school. More importantly, it gives methods to help autistic children learn to communicate, to relate to others, gain social skills, and even make friends. Another nugget, this from the concluding chapter is this:

'Students with ASD may be able to follow a visual picture schedule or complete an independent workstation, but if they are unable to communicate socially with another person and develop a relationship with others, we have failed to adequately address the whole child.'

There are also recommendations on how to include middle and high school students in general education classes, how to deal with people who are against including these disabled children with what we would call the normal kids, the resources teachers are going to need, ways to get those resources, and the vital importance of good communication between the school and the home. I particularly liked the recommendations for how teachers, paraeducators, and parents can work together to help the autistic child learn to use the same skills at school and home.

It's obvious from reading this book that teaching autistic children is going to be more difficult than ordinary teaching, which is difficult enough. Still, teaching those children will not only improve their lives as individuals, it will improve their chances of becoming contributing members of society.

I've not only read this book, I've recommended it to others. I'm not sure why I asked one stranger who came to my door if she knew anyone who had autistic children, but I'm glad I did. She knew someone who had two. I'll be keeping this book listed in my collection so the review will remain, but I'm giving it to the sibling who's an elementary school teacher. As the book says, a one-day workshop isn't enough to fully train teachers to teach children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. ( )

A very practical guide for parents and teachers of autistic children, School Success for Kids with Autism will provide valuable information at any grade level. The book is well organized, starting with an introduction to Autism Specturm Disorder (ASD), and progressing into information about assessment, with sections on strategies at each school stage: preschool, elementary, junior high, and high school.
After reading the book, one thing becomes very clear: there is no ‘one right way’ to teach children with ASD. Understanding that each child has his own challenges, the reader is provided with a variety of different strategies that have worked in different circumstances. If you try a strategy and it doesn’t work for your child, you can move onto the next strategy. However, for every strategy that you try, you can be confident that it is backed up by research and expertise. ( )

I really enjoyed this book, My daughter has autism. i found it very informative, however more geared towards teachers then parents. i would highly recommend this book for any teachers who work with children on the autism spectrum. ( )

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I work with school age kids with autism often and found the information to be mostly accurate. Obviously nearly every child with autism is different in their mannerisms and personalities but as much as you can find a common theme, this book seemed to do a good job. I found the statistics and other more clinical information to be good and I would recommend this book to anyone with an autistic child in their life. ( )