Autism Is... ?

Book excerpt: Logan overhears his grandma tell her friend he has autism, and he asks her, "Autism is...'" She explains it to him in this beautifully illustrated story.Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a disability that, according to new statistics released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on March 29, 2014, affects an estimated 1 out of 68 children (1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls) in the US alone. It is a spectrum disorder because its impact on development can range from mild to severe. The areas of development most affected are social interaction and communication skills, difficulties with verbal and non-verbal communication, and leisure play.Someone wisely said, "If you have met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism." The characteristics are different with each unique individual, and so are the ways to interact, teach, and care for them.You may or may not wish to explain the term autism to your child at a young age, but if you do, I hope this book can help make it easier for you, as it did for me when explaining autism to Logan. His inquisitive mind wanted to know, and once he read this story, even before it was illustrated, he was satisfied with the answer.