ASD and Me: Learning About Autism Spectrum Disorder

IMPROVED & UPDATED! Back in 2010, author Teresa DeMars went looking for a book to explain autism to her son. When she couldn’t find one that fit the characteristics of his autism, she wrote ASD and Me. Written for kids diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, PDD-NOS, or autism, parents will appreciate the way this heartwarming children's picture book will help them explain Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to their child on the spectrum. ASD and Me is written from the point of view of Eli, a seven-year-old boy who has ASD. Through the story, Eli explains how he was diagnosed, and how ASD affects the way he thinks and interprets the world around him. He also talks about some of the social and life skills he has learned that help him fit in with others. The story concludes with some of the interests and activities Eli shares with other children. ASD and Me is a great book to help introduce the subject of autism to siblings, classmates, extended family and to those on the spectrum. (Updated print version of the book may not be available from third party sellers.)

In the spring of 2008, the autism journey began for author Teresa DeMars and her family when doctors diagnosed her son, Donnie, with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Like all families who face this diagnosis, DeMars and her husband, Jon, worked to find early interventions to help their son. Donnie first spent six months in a special education classroom at a local public school. He then attended Partners in Excellence, an autism therapy center in Burnsville, Minnesota that provides ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) therapy to children with autism. Donnie received 40 hours of therapy per week up until August of 2009, when he "graduated" from the program. Today he attends a local charter school, where he is mainstreamed in a classroom with typical children. Like other parents with children on the spectrum, DeMars wondered about how she would explain autism to her son. She felt that children with high functioning ASD deserved a character that could share his or her own thoughts...a character that children with ASD could relate to and even look up to. Inspired by this realization, DeMars wrote ASD and ME.