As a rule, I don’t read anymore—books about autism, I mean. Initially, like any parent reeling at their child's diagnosis, I devoured everything I could get my hands on. But the books were either too academic or too preachy or, let's face it, too bleak.
How does your child deal with anger and frustration? For a long time my answer would have involved thrashing legs, clenched fists, and crashing objects. I'm happy to report that isn't so much the case lately.
Some children (and, to be fair, adults!) are slow to evolve out of the tantrum phrase we typically associate with the "terrible twos." Often in children with autism, anxiety translates into angry outbursts.
We are lucky to live in an age of increasing autism awareness. Still, in spite of all the awareness—and a cornucopia of books on ASD—there are very few kids books out there that focus on teaching the child to appreciate and value himself.
While it's obviously crucial to educate family and friends about autism, to my mind, it's equally (if not more) important to foster self-esteem in the child with the disorder.
