As a person on the autism spectrum, I find it refreshing to find this subject addressed directly to the person who has autism. So many books are written addressing how others can cope with us, so I purposely seek to showcase books that are written for an autistic readership.

With concise, clear language, Autism and You: Learning in Styles explains learning styles and preferences, and also helps identify environmental factors that might influence the student's ability to learn. It's a quick read, easily digestible, but worth returning to sections as-needed to put its information into practice.

Autism and You helps students to discover their own optimal learning environment, and offers practical suggestions for how the student can shape an environment to help them do their best.

This book, as I've said, is written for students, but I feel that it could easily also be relevant to a wider autistic readership. Even people who are not on the spectrum might similarly benefit from being able to understand their preferred learning style.

Well written, interesting and easy to read. I would recommend this book to anyone interested.

5★
“When your parents and your doctor began to talk about your development, they began to realize how unique you are.”

. . .

"Labels are just words for different points of view; you need to figure out what they mean for you."


I was surprised to find that the title means exactly what it says. It’s about autism and “you”, and it’s addressed directly at young people and students with autism. Only the last brief chapter is addressed to parents or the adults in the student’s life to suggest how to implement some of the suggestions.

And there are suggestions a-plenty, including hands-on patterns for making different learning tools. This is published by Future Horizons, a company that publishes the work of Temple Grandin and Tony Attwood, among others.

This is an excellent, very simple resource, by which I mean the explanations are clear, the advice is easy to understand, and the tests and links to online resources are all valuable.

I’ve been a fan, if I can put it like that, of Temple Grandin since she came to Australia many years ago to consult with cattle-growers. We had cattle at the time, and she opened the eyes of livestock managers to the things that are likely to make animals comfortable or nervous.

Temple had a hard time of it herself, growing up.

“In her book about being Temple’s mother, she writes about Temple as a little girl: ’Temple is causing storms from which there is no quick tidy-up and no immediate answer. This is a new experience for both of us ….’”

This was in a time when nobody really knew what autism was, just that she was difficult. There’s an excellent movie of her life with Claire Danes, but I digress.

We all learn different ways, autistic or not. I was a volunteer tutor and mentor for most of my adult life, working with kids of all ages, most of whom were having "issues" in the classroom, and much of this certainly rings true to me.

I remember being taught once in a learning workshop that most of us learn best by “doing”, next best by watching somebody “do”, third best by having someone explain to us how to “do”, then on down the list to reading instructions, as I recall.

While this sounds fine, what it doesn’t take into to account are the circumstances where any of these might take place: indoors, outdoors, morning or afternoon, in a classroom at desks, in a room with couches and beanbags, in an active, noisy, brightly-lit open classroom, in a quiet, dimly-lit private corner . . . you get the idea.

“While most younger students are more tactual and kinesthetic, the older you become, the more likely you are to prefer learning in an auditory or visual way. Remember, that’s for most students, but not necessarily you.
. . .
Your learning style is made up of several parts. There are at least 21 different variables (or parts) to consider, including environmental, emotional, sociological, physiological, and psychological references
. . .
You can go to www.learningstyles.net and read more information about learning styles and the LS:CY; you can even view demonstration videos.”

Anyone reading this is going to see themselves in some of the descriptions.

Do you study best with music playing or in silence? [Shut up! I can't hear myself think!]

Do you concentrate best first thing in the morning or later in the day? [Coffee first! I need my coffee!]

When you’re warm or cool? [It's too hot to concentrate!]

Do you learn best with other people around and/or a teacher helping? [Will you people just leave me alone, please?]

Do you like to do things step-by-step with a list of instructions, or would you rather have an overview of the project and attack it all at once. [If all else fails, read the instructions.]

At least 21 different variables to consider seems to be putting it mildly! Any of the above sound familiar?

"Once you become aware of what’s best for you, your teacher and you can brainstorm different paths to get to the same goal."

This is very simply written but chock-full of helpful, practical, positive advice for kids on the spectrum and whoever’s giving them a hand.

Thanks to NetGalley and Future Horizons for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted, and thanks to the author for writing it!

Very informative and learned a lot on the subject. Great read

Excellent! Easy to read,informative and through.