EVERY VOICE MATTERS
Below are a list of books written by Self Advocates and other professionals.
Click on the title of each book to be directed to the book itself.
Written by Self Advocates
Ido in Autismland opens a window into non-verbal autism through dozens of short, autobiographical essays each offering new insights into autism symptoms, effective and ineffective treatments and the inner emotional life of a severely autistic boy. In his pithy essays, author Ido Kedar, a brilliant sixteen year old with autism, challenges what he believes are misconceptions in many theories that dominate autism treatment today while he simultaneously chronicles his personal growth in his struggles to overcome his limitations
Ten autistic self-advocates share their experiences with alternative forms of communication such as rapid prompting method (RPM) and facilitated communication (FC), both highly controversial. Their narratives document the complexities that autistic individuals navigate--in both educational and community settings--when choosing to use approaches that utilize letter boards and keyboards. While the controversies remain--RPM requires further scientific study, and FC is subject to criticism about confirmation bias--these individuals share powerful stories in the context of aiming for disability rights. The book concludes with a chapter about best practices for educators, particularly for schools and colleges that have students who use these communication methods.
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“Trust me, I want to talk to you. My inability to speak is confused for my intelligence.”Diego Peña is a sharp-witted 9 year old boy whose goal is to deliver a message that shatters misconceptions about autism. Only Diego cannot yet speak. By pointing to letters on a laminated letter board and typing on a keyboard, he breaks through his silence to express his inner-thoughts in Anatomy of Autism. In this pocket guide for individuals who support autistic students, Diego concisely articulates the challenges and dilemmas he faces with his sensory system, communication, and motor system. He thoughtfully explores the implications and possibilities of these challenges as a primary school student. His experiences nudge educators, therapists, parents, and students to rethink their approaches to supporting individuals who are autistic and non-speaking. Diego’s words reveal a disarming truth.
Typed Words, Loud Voices is written by a coalition of writers who type to talk and believe it is neither logical nor fair that some people should be expected to prove themselves every time they have something to say. Read our arguments and hear us. Help us change the world. "Getting your attention that I want to "voice" something is my first challenge. ... However, if you calm your leap to judge, you may find that since we know we take more effort to "listen" to, we make sure you "hear" something memorable..." - Devva Kasnitz, PhD. CUNY-Disability Studies
Leaders Around Me: Autobiographies of Autistics who Type, Point, and Spell to Communicate is a compilation of 45 autobiographies of extraordinary individuals who use keyboards, letter boards, and communication devices. The authors demonstrate that people who experience communication differences have the potential to achieve major accomplishments under accessible, inclusive, and supportive circumstances. Each autobiographical narrative ends with reflection questions to encourage reader engagement and reflection. All autistic individuals deserve autistic leaders around them for support and mentoring.
Written by Professionals
Soma Mukhopadhyay has a large collection of books you can access on Amazon. These books cover topics such as: understanding autism, developing communication, learning life skills, developing motor skills, harnessing stims and behaviors and mathematical concepts.
The Spellers Guidebook is the first of its kind—a comprehensive guidebook that every family should take along for their Spelling journey. From the moment you first learn about spelled communication through working with a practitioner, developing fluency, and everything in between, this book serves as a blueprint to follow while you build the skills to spell openly with your child.
If we follow the lead offered here we will not only have a model of the discipline we must cultivate, we will also have the support of people with disabilities as full partners in the difficult search for better understanding. Leary and Donnellan carefully note anomalies, irregularities likely to be ignored or explained away in routine practice: irregularities such as the many accommodations people with disabilities and those who care about them have invented beneath the notice of the professionals who ordinarily control their treatment. The authors rigorously deconstruct the myth of mental capacity.