Autism Life Skills

October 6, 2008
Sicile-Kira, Chantal. Autism Life Skills: From Communication and Safety to Self-Esteem and More--10 Essential Abilities Every Child Needs and Deserves To Learn. Penguin. Oct. 2008. 224p. bibliog. pap. PSYCH~ Sicile-Kira's survey of practical and psychological changes facing children with autism will be most valuable to parents of older children. Slightly hampered by its overly general approach, this book is recommended for public libraries with autism and special-needs collections. Background: An advocate and parent of an autistic teenager, Sicile-Kira identifies ten challenges (including communication and safety) that confront children with autism and their families. The author includes accounts from people with autism taken from books, web sites, and blogs and provides tips and goals for parents to promote their child's independent and successful life. Of particular note is the section on self-esteem, which addresses the important issue of self-awareness of autism, especially among adolescents. The book would have been strengthened by the inclusion of unmediated voices from others with autism. The paraphrasing limits the text's appeal to a more general audience.--Corey Seeman, Kresge Business Administration Lib., Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor.