A Is for Autism, F Is for Friend: A Kid's Book on Making Friends With a Child Who Has Autism

A is for Autism, F is for Friend provides a unique glimpse of life from the perspective of a child who has severe autism. It is written through the voice of Chelsea, a ten year old girl, who just happens to have severe autism. In A is for Autism, F is for Friend, Chelsea sees kids on the playground and at the park playing games. She then expresses her desire to get to know some of them. However, she explains that social interaction can be tricky for her. As Chelsea explains some of her behaviors and challenges, she compares them with issues that all kids face. These examples might make a typical child think, "Hey, I experience that too!" Due to the fact that severe autism usually impacts a person's communication ability significantly, giving Chelsea a voice provides a rare viewpoint on what a child with severe autism faces daily. Chelsea discusses issues of eye contact and explains echolalia. She helps readers see that she's not so different after all and creates opportunities for other kids with autism. Chelsea cheerfully shows us that if we look closely, we are sometimes more similar than different by clarifying some of the mysteries of autism. She brings a fun and clear voice for those children who cannot articulate the challenges that autism presents. A is for Autism, F is for Friend provides an enjoyable discussion-oriented format for teaching our youth about autism. More

JOANNA KEATING-VELASCO lives in Placentia in Orange County, California. She is married and has one daughter. Joanna has a degree in business administration from California State University, Fullerton. She enjoys trying to understand the unique qualities of children with autism and has worked as an instructional aide (independence facilitator) for seven years in programs for children, teens and adults with autism.