Recommended Reading
Here is a list of books we love.
Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals – Tony Attwood
A fantastic go-to guide for parents and professionals, this book helps with the identification, treatment and care of both children and adults with Asperger’s Syndrome.
In a Different Key: The Story of Autism – John Donvan and Caren Zucker
An extraordinary history of autism, in narrative form: the riveting story of parents fighting for their children’s civil rights; of doctors struggling to define autism; of ingenuity, self-advocacy, and profound social change.
Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity – Steve Silberman
This book challenges conventional thinking about autism and suggests a broader model for acceptance, understanding, and full participation in society for people who think differently.
It’s So Much Work To Be Your Friend – Richard Lavoie
Lavoie answers the most intense need of parents, teachers, and caregivers of children who can use help forming deeper, more meaningful friendships.
The Science of Making Friends: Helping Socially Challenged Teens and Young Adults – Elizabeth A. Laugeson, PsyD
Dr. Laugeson is the creator of the PEERS (TM) social skills program. In this book, she presents this evidence-based system for practicing social situations from the basics of good conversations from how to start and enter and exit conversations to how to manage electronic communication. This book also includes social coaching tips and is recommended for anyone supporting teens/young adults with social difficulties.
The Parents’ Guide to Teaching Kids with Asperger Syndrome and Similar ASDs Real-Life Skills for Independence – Patricia Romanowski Bashe, MSED, BCBA
This guide is for anyone who lives and supports neurodiverse individuals. The author shares how “real-life skills really matter”, and how we should plan for the independence of our loved ones by teaching them the skills they need to manage their lives.
Aspergirls: Empowering Females with Asperger Syndrome – Rudy Simone
Aspergirls guides you through every aspect of both personal and professional life, from early recollections of blame, guilt, and savant skills, to friendships, romance and marriage.
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character – Paul Tough
How Children Succeed introduces us to a new generation of researchers and educators, who, for the first time, are using the tools of science to peel back the mysteries of character.
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance – Angela Duckworth
In this instant New York Times bestseller, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed — be it parents, students, educators, athletes, or business people—that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.”
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success – Carol S. Sweck
This text describes Dweck’s concept of the growth mindset and how almost all aspects of life can be influences by a fixed or growth mindset.
How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success – Julie Lythcott-Haims
A provocative manifesto that exposes the harms of helicopter parenting and sets forth an alternate philosophy for raising preteens and teens to self-sufficient young adulthood.
Masterminds & Wingmen: Helping Our Boys Cope with Schoolyard Power, Locker-Room Tests, Girlfriends, and the New Rules of Boy World – Rosalind Wiseman
The well-known ‘girl expert’ and best-selling author of Queen Bees and Wannabees now has delved into the inner life of boys-their adolescence and the way they relate to their parents and others. Wiseman goes straight to the source, talking to teenage boys who share their voice and help as editors to the book. Special chapter is devoted to neurotypical boys with editor assistance from a Camp Akeela alum!
Homesick & Happy – How Time Away from Parents Can Help a Child Grow – Michael Thompson, PhD
We recommend this book to all families sending their child to camp for the first time. It dives into how time away from home is essential for the growth of children.
The Loving Push: How Parents and Professionals Can Help Spectrum Kids Become Successful Adults – Temple Grandin, PhD and Debra Moore, PhD
Best-selling author, autism advocate, and animal science professor Dr. Temple Grandin joins psychologist and autism specialist Dr. Debra Moore in spelling out the steps you can take to restore your child’s hope and motivation, and what you must avoid.
Girls Growing up on the Autism Spectrum: What Parents and Professionals Should Know About the Pre-Teen and Teenage Years – Shana Nichols with Gina Marie Moravcik and Samara Pulver Tetenbaum
This book provides advice and teaching tips to help parents and professionals with specific areas of difficulty for girls with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The book addresses issues such as puberty, friendships, sexuality, safety, and more. It also offers knowledge and resources to help girls with ASD, their families and educators get through these challenging years.
Raising Resilient Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Strategies for Helping Them Maximize Their Strengths, Cope with Adversity, and Develop a Social Mindset – Robert Brooks, Ph.D., and Sam Goldstein, Ph.D.
The qualities of a resilient mindset have become increasingly important for today’s youth in this complex world. All children need to overcome today’s adversity including those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In this book, these best-selling authors and noted psychologists outline how to develop and teach these skills to our children and demonstrate how to apply resilience to every parenting practice when raising a child with ASD.
Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s – John Elder Robison
Robison has written a moving, darkly funny memoir about a life that has taken him from developing exploding guitars for KISS to building a family of his own.
Be Different: My Adventures with Asperger’s and My Advice for Fellow Aspergians, Misfits, Families, and Teachers – John Elder Robison
Author of Look Me In the Eye, Robison’s next book gives his readers even more insight into his world as a person with Asperger’s and strategies of what’s worked for him to navigate his world. I read this book along with my young adult son diagnosed with ASD and followed a list of suggested discussion questions that accompany the book. This led to my son having ‘aha moments’ and seeing that he and the author share many similarities.