Life Skills Autism

In Life Skills for Teens with Autism, you will find precise, practical, effective strategies for sharing vital life skills and making your teen aware of how life-changing they can be.

In the real world, people on the autism spectrum need the same kinds of day-to-day skills everyone else needs to be functional! It's true. No matter how high-functioning children with autism or Asperger's may be or may become, they function better as adults if they've had the chance to learn basic skills, from being on time to good personal hygiene. But many reach adulthood without those skills. Enter Jennifer McIlwee Myers, aspie at large.

Adults on the autism spectrum rarely have access to services once they age out of the school system. Many on the spectrum struggle with forming and building relationships, finding and maintaining jobs, and managing their day-to-day lives. Life Coaching, specifically for adults on the spectrum or anyone who considers themselves neurodivergent, can provide individuals, other coaches, parents, and professionals the tools and skills necessary to guide people to success.

In Life Skills for Autistic Teens, two parents who’ve been on the same turbulent and challenging journey share insights and strategies to help you find hope again and regain your confidence. We have raised a beautiful child with ASD, and have turned our experiences and hard-learned lessons into a practical blueprint for independence. Through mindset changes, comprehensive systems, and practical strategies, we show how persistency and dedication can lead to life-changing results no matter your starting point.

Catherine, a 12-year-old girl with big responsibilities, loves her autistic younger brother David and makes lists of rules she thinks will help him get by. But she often feels that her parents, focused on special care for David, forget that she exists, too.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological disorder (a "brain" condition) characterized by poor behavioral and social difficulties. This is a developmental condition that starts early in infancy and lasts for life. Autism spectrum disorder affects most facets of life. Cognitive (thinking and language) and social skills are usually impaired by growth relative to their disorder-free peers.

When Temple Grandin was born, her parents knew that she was different. It wasn’t until years later that she was diagnosed with autism, a brain disorder that makes communication difficult. Today, Dr. Temple Grandin is a scientist and professor of animal science at Colorado State University. Her career has revolutionized the livestock industry - each year, half the cattle in the United States are handled in cruelty-free facilities she designed. She is also a passionate advocate for autism, using her experience to prove that people with this disorder can have “normal” lives.

When Sarah Nannery got her first job at a small nonprofit, she thought she knew exactly what it would take to advance. But soon she realized that even with hard work and conscientiousness, she was missing key meanings and messages embedded in her colleagues' everyday requests, feedback, and praise. She had long realized her brain operated differently than others, but now she knew for sure: She had autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Ever since Ms. Murphy told us about the witch trials that happened centuries ago right here in Juniper, I can’t stop thinking about them. Those people weren’t magic. They were like me. Different like me. I’m autistic. I see things that others do not. I hear sounds that they can ignore. And sometimes I feel things all at once. I think about the witches, with no one to speak for them. Not everyone in our small town understands. But if I keep trying, maybe someone will. I won’t let the witches be forgotten. Because there is more to their story. Just like there is more to mine.

Twelve-year-old Nova is eagerly awaiting the launch of the space shuttle Challenger - it's the first time a teacher is going into space, and kids across America will watch the event on live TV in their classrooms. Nova and her big sister, Bridget, share a love of astronomy and the space program. They planned to watch the launch together. But Bridget has disappeared, and Nova is in a new foster home. While foster families and teachers dismiss Nova as severely autistic and nonverbal, Bridget understands how intelligent and special Nova is, and all that she can't express.

Learn about autism and the people who have it.

All summer Sara Godfrey has fretted over herself, her impossible body, her terrible new haircut. One moment she's elated, the next, she's in tears. And she can't figure out why. Maybe her wildly changing moods are tied to the sudden and unaccountable appearance of the swans, which hold the rapt attention of Charlie, Sara's mentally handicapped brother, who she loves far more than herself these days. When he disappears, in her anguish, Sara turns to Joe Melby, whom she has long despised, and together they search for him.

For Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), life is pretty great. He’s the caretaker of the best baby skunk in the world - even Janie, his older sister, is warming up to Thor. When Janie gets a part in the school play and can’t watch Bat after school, it means some pretty big changes. Someone else has to take care of the skunk kit in the afternoons, Janie is having sleepovers with her new friends, and Bat wants everything to go back to normal. He just has to make it to the night of Janie’s performance.

Marcelo Sandoval hears music no one else can hear - part of the autism-like impairment no doctor has been able to identify - and he's always attended a special school where his differences have been protected. But the summer after his junior year, his father demands that Marcelo work in his law firm's mailroom in order to experience "the real world."

Fourth grade is not going at all how Benny Barrows hoped. He hasn't found a new best friend. He's still not a great bike rider - even though his brother, George, who's autistic, can do tricks. And, worst of all, he worries his dad's recent accident might be all his fault. Benny tries to take his mom's advice and focus on helping others and to take things one step at a time. But when his dad ends up in the hospital again, Benny doesn't know how he and his family will overcome all the bad luck that life seems to have thrown their way.

Have you ever wondered what makes a kite fly or a boat float? Have you ever thought about why snowflakes are symmetrical, or why golf balls have dimples? Have you ever tried to make a kaleidoscope or build a pair of stilts? In Calling All Minds, Temple Grandin explores the ideas behind all of those questions and more. She delves into the science behind inventions, the steps various people took to create and improve upon ideas as they evolved, and the ways in which young inventors can continue to think about and understand what it means to tinker, to fiddle, and to innovate.

My friend Zack has a disability called autism. But that doesn’t matter to us. We talk about airplanes, build models, and enjoy hanging out at each other’s house. I’m glad Zack is my friend!

Feeling lost with an autistic loved one? This audiobook will enable you to have a better understanding of the behavior and inner feelings of a child with special needs, which will provide you with the information to manage and cope with the situation effectively with minimal stress for the family. With this audiobook, parents and families will be able to ease into the autism circumstances and move on with life optimistically.

The Last Kids on Earth meets Margaret Peterson Haddix in this middle grade adventure about fourteen-year-old Izzy, an autistic girl surviving the end of the world who must team up with her loveable dog to uncover the hidden truth behind her family and the rest of humanity’s disappearance.

Everything is changing for eleven-year-old Alex, and as an autistic person, change can be terrifying. With the first day of middle school only a few months away, Alex is sure that having a friend by his side will help. So he’s devised a plan: impress the kids at school by winning a trophy at the PAWS Dog Show with his trusty sidekick, Kevin. This should be a walk in the park … right? If only.