My Autism Book: A Child's Guide to Their Autism Spectrum Diagnosis - Hardcover

by Tamar Levi (Author), Glòria Durà-Vilà (Author)

My Autism Book is a beautifully illustrated picture book that helps parents to explain an autism diagnosis to their child in a sensitive, positive and accurate way.

When a child is diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), parents often feel overwhelmed and uncertain about how to communicate the diagnosis to their child. This book is designed to be read with the child as a simple introduction to their diagnosis. Written by a doctor and a children's author, the book is tailored precisely to the needs and experiences of the child with ASD aged 5-9. It explains what an autism diagnosis means and encourages an exploration of the child's likely strengths and differences using clear language that speaks directly to the child. The colourful pictures throughout show how the world looks from the child's perspective and the book ends with a summary checklist to encourage the child to record and discuss how autism affects them.

Author Biography

Dr Glòria Durà-Vilà is a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist working in the Surrey and Borders NHS Trust with a main clinical interest in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She is experienced in assessing, diagnosing and treating children and young people with ASD, and she works closely with parents and educational and social services. She is passionate about the importance of communicating the ASD diagnosis to parents and to the child in the best possible way. She is an Honorary Lecturer at University College London, Department of Mental Health Sciences. Tamar Levi has studied child psychology and worked with students with a range of disabilities including ASD. She has illustrated numerous children's books including The If Machine, The If Odyssey and The Philosophy Shop and she guest lectures on how picture books can be used as tools in schools and at home to effectively share complicated ideas or sensitive information with children.