Daniel Stefanski

How To talk to an Autistic Kid is an awesome book. It is written by 14 year old Daniel Stefanski, who is on the spectrum. He has done a remarkable job educating both his peers and adults. It is a short book, some may call it a picture book for the middle school age. I think we can all learn from it. I am raising an autistic child. It is not easy watching him struggle to have conversations with other who do not understand. I would like to ask every teacher out there to get this book and find a way to share it with your classroom.
I love the way Daniel talks about how autistic children "hear" and "see", (or not see), things. He also brought up important things like getting stuck, not remembering to share, some of the different behaviors that some autistic children do and even the sensory issues. I love the section on Be a good friend where Daniel says, Don't feel sorry for me. I have autism, but I'm cool with who I am." This is my wish for Jr. Daniel reminds us to reach out to children with autism. He also asks us to stand up for children with autism from the bullies and then tells us how. And he calls us the hero. To me he is the hero.… (más)

How to Talk to an Autistic Kid is a wonderful book written by a fourteen year old boy with autism. The book begins with an “about me” page of the author, Daniel Stefanski. Each page thereafter invites you into the mind of an autistic kid. There are tips on how to speak to an autistic kid, and why they may sometimes act differently than other children. The author’s primary message is that while he and other kids may have autism, they are still just kids. This was a wonderful and informative read. Most autistic children are now part of great inclusion programs, integrating them into mainstream classrooms. This book should be on the shelf of every classroom library to remind children that while they may act differently, autistic kids are just like you.… (más)

I work with kids with autism, and one of my kids will say to a new group "I have autism." Then he doesn't explain it. The other kids then ask me. Autism is such a wide range of things that I always stumble around a bit and frequently don't tell the kids anything they can work with. The best thing I've come up with is "He experiences the world a little differently than other people do."

This book doesn't attempt to explain autism, but it explains the basics. It discusses the behaviors that are most likely to occur and gives kids suggestions on how to respond. It even makes suggestions for helping siblings of kids with autism. It's a quick read, written at the third grade level but of course also meant for older kids. I'm half-tempted to leave this book scattered around on desks in all the middle schools in the state. It does an excellent job at opening up a discussion for kids with autism, and also at giving other kids tools for getting along with their autistic peers and classmates.… (más)