Autism Life Skills: 10 Essential Abilities Your Child with Autism Needs to Learn

Taking time out to read Chantal Sicile-Kira's book has been a true pleasure. In my role as a parent participation officer for an autism charity I am always eager to learn more about the families I work with, parents and children alike. Sicile-Kira has interspersed snippets of interviews with details about her own son Jeremy, who has autism. She has drawn from a wide range of publications, mainly ones written by people with autism to create a valuable insight into life growing up with autism.

Autism Life Skills includes practical tips for equipping someone with autism with the skills needed to safely navigate the world and build self-confidence. These include how to deal with negative language often used when referring to autism and ordering food in a restaurant. Sicile-Kira also helps young people develop the skills to deal with problems themselves by giving sensitive advice for managing sexuality and bullying. Throughout the book, the author empowers the parent, which in turn leads to greater independence for the child. She does this by providing information she has learned through trial and error over the years with her now adult son.