Asperger’s... What Does It Mean To Me? A workbook explaining self awareness and life lessons to the child or youth with High Functioning Autism or Asperger’s By Catherine Faherty

This book is designed to help children with high functioning autism better understand their disorder through a series of activities that address many of the characteristics typical of most ASD children. The book can be used by either teachers or parents to aid in promoting communication about the disorder and/or self- awareness about the child’s unique characteristics. This book is divided into 12 chapters, each focusing on a different aspect of Asperger’s Syndrome. Each chapter is then broken down into the student workbook pages and the parent/teacher section. The parent/teacher section supplements the student workbook with guidance in how to “teach” the various activities to the child or work through the book with him/her. This section also provides numerous ideas and strategies above and beyond the specific activity being worked on. About this Book

Table of Contents Chapter 1 – Introduction Provides exercises for the child to better understand how the book works, how to fill out the worksheets, and provides activities in beginning to understand autism Chapter 2 – Ways of Thinking Activities designed to address the ASD child’s unique patterns of thinking and common problems associated: routine changes, styles of learning, perfectionism, etc. Chapter 3 – The Sensory Experience An introduction to the five senses and exercises to help the child identify their unique sensory needs.

Chapter 4 – Artistic Talent Exercises to help children identify various “artistic” activities they may or may not enjoy: drawing, music, drama, computers, writing, etc.. It allows the child to identify areas of interest, areas they are good at, or activities they would like to learn more about. Chapter 5 – People This chapter provides exercises to help the ASD child understand and cope with the unpredictability of people. Activities include understanding how he/she relates to individuals within their home, coping with changes and/or getting used to new people, and provides a beginning understanding of how to identify what is unsafe.

Chapter 6 – Understanding Includes exercises related to understanding of nonverbal cues such as eye contact and interpreting facial expressions/body language. It also includes exercises for children having difficulties understanding figurative language or the meaning of what people say. Chapter 7 – Thoughts These activities help children understand their inner thoughts and feelings better, including hopes, fears, and how to express those to others.

Chapter 8 – Communication This chapter breaks down communication into separate activities, including verbalizing thoughts or active listening. It also helps children identify why they find conversation confusing and targets specific problems a child may have including talking too much/too little, asking repetitive questions, ending conversations, and asking for help. Chapter 9 – School This chapter addresses a variety of problems a child with ASD may experience at school, including schedules, working independently, organization, handwriting, following rules, and environmental differences. Chapter 10 – Friends This chapter tackles a variety of social difficulties including pretend play, winning/losing, being part of a team, and general friendship skills.

Chapter 11 – Feeling Upset Helps children better understand and identify emotions and provides specific pages for anxiety, oppositional behaviors, and hurting others. Activities also help children identify emotions in others, how to better express their own feelings, and strategies they can uses when upset. Chapter 12 – The Last Chapter This chapter wraps up the workbook with activities regarding statistics about autism, how the child is a unique individual, respecting differences, and provides biography’s of other children/adults with autism that helped with the book.

How to Use This Book A teacher or parent may want to use this book from beginning to end to spark dialogue about the disorder and to develop self-awareness, particularly with a child newly diagnosed. A teacher or parent will likely use this book to target specific difficulties a child with ASD may be experiencing. The author emphasizes individualization of the activities and trying to make the workbook personally relative to the child’s specific situation. Although this book is mostly target at children with ASD, there are a variety of activities that could be used with any child they may be experiencing similar difficulties.