Fifteen Things They Forgot to Tell You About Autism

Debby Elley is the co-founder of AuKids magazine and the author of Fifteen Things They Forgot to Tell You About Autism, and co-author of the children's book The Ice-Cream Sundae Guide to Autism (JKP 2020). She is a mother of twin sons on the autism spectrum. She lives in Cheshire, UK.

• 1. Autism is a Pick 'n' Mix: Personalise Your Autism Learning. 2. Autism Can Change: Looking Beyond the Traditional Definition. 3. You Can't Compare Apples with Oranges (or you can, but it's fruitless): Accepting them for Who They Are. 4. Happiness Comes From Perspective: Living with a Label. 5. If We Don't Fear the World, the World Won't Fear Us: Building a Neurodiverse Planet. 6. Learning Aut-speak: Understanding Echolalia. 7. Specialisms Make Specialists: Valuing Special Interests. 8. Communication is What Happens While You're Waiting for Speech: Parenting a Non-verbal Child. 9. It's Not Your Place or Mine...It's a Bit of Both: Entering the Autistic World. 10. Hell is Other People: Tackling Problems at School. 11. You Can Learn What You Lack: Getting to Know Other People's Thoughts. 12. Rigid Thinking Can Bend: Helping Kids to Be More Flexible. 13. A Stitch in Time Saves 9,000: Preventing Meltdowns. 14. When You Stop, Independence Starts: Helping Them to Help Themselves. 15.You Can Build Walls with Scaffolding: Learning Independence at School. 16. Only Autistic People Have the Answers: Learning to Listen.

This reads like a best friend's guide to autism. Elley's honesty, warmth, and positive outlook shine through making this a truly readable, relatable and hopeful book. Between the lines there is a wealth of useful information, understanding and valuable signposts to further reading. An especially great read for those new to autism. I highly recommend this book!