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Hello
from sunny Southern California!
The
privilege of spending eight years working with
students with autism has opened my heart to
their unique qualities. As an instructional
aide, I am fortunate to spend valuable one-on-one
time with students and get to know their challenges,
talents and personalities. I feel that it is
my responsibility and honor to share the lessons
these students have taught me.
Individuals
with autism have so much to teach our young
teen audience, however, many are nonverbal and
have yet to find their voice. My new book,
In
His Shoes - A Short Journey Through Autism,
is an attempt to help connect the readers to
these individuals by providing a new perspective
on how an individual with autism might experience
his first year transitioning from elementary
to middle school.
Imagine
spending a year in middle school without being
able to talk with friends or even understanding
the concept of "hanging out." This
book offers a rare glimpse at life with autism
while also opening up opportunities for group
discussion. We observe how those who get to
know our main character, Nick, learn valuable
lessons in acceptance and understanding.
In
His Shoes carries on the tradition
of my first book, A
Is for Autism, F Is for Friend - A Kid's Book
on Making Friends with a Child Who Has Autism,
by providing a springboard for classrooms, community
groups and families to engage in discussions
about autism and how each of us can support
and encourage individuals on this and similar
disorders. By putting ourselves "in Nick's
shoes," we gain a fresh perspective on
autism, which in turn will open doors in our
communities for our peers and neighbors on the
autism spectrum.
I
hope you will join me on this brief journey
with Nicholas.
Sincerely,
Joanna
L. Keating-Velasco
www.AisForAutism.net
I enthusiastically recommend the following
related books for "tweens" and teens:
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Running
on Dreams by Herb Heiman
Cleverly written from the perspective
of two middle school boys, one with Asperger
Syndrome, this entertaining novel teaches
lessons of tolerance and acceptance.
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A
Is for Autism, F Is for Friend - A Kid's
Book on Making Friends with a Child Who
Has Autism by Joanna L. Keating-Velasco
Fun discussion-oriented book provides
a unique glimpse of life from the perspective
of a young girl with autism. It covers
sensory, communication and social challenges.
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Jay
Grows an Alien by Caroline
Levine
An enjoyable "tween" novel
that follows a young boy with autism at
school and home. A great launch pad for
classroom discussions regarding Asperger
Syndrome.
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Turning
back to the calendar, Jim pointed to Wednesday
and said, "It's paper route day,
Nick."
"Paper
route," he repeated. Yes! My favorite
day! I love to roll and deliver the papers.
He put down his communication book and
followed Jim out to the van to get papers
for their route. Jim helped Nick count
out 65 papers. Then Nick carried his stack
back into the center and plopped them
onto a table.
"Are
you still earning money for those new
shoes, Nick?" asked Jim as he grabbed
a handful of rubber bands. "You 'oughta
be getting close. How much do you have
in your jar?"
"In
your jar?" Nick repeated. Grinning,
he looked across the room to the desk,
spying "Nick's Money" jar with
the picture of a pair of shoes taped onto
it. Last time they were here, he had counted
the money and remembered, $30.42 and counting!
Almost there. "Shoes."
Nick
had found an advertisement for a pair
of shoes in a sports magazine that he
and Jim were browsing through earlier
in the month. With the money he earned
from various community center jobs, he
had chosen to work toward purchasing those
shoes.
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Meet Joanna Keating-Velasco
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