Anything that helps a person gain independence is a plus, autistic or no. The skills in this book are ones we should all have.
Autism is a complex syndrome that varies from person to person. But, as the author reminds us, every person shares the same dreams, wants, and need for understanding.

Thank you to NetGalley, Future Horizons and Patricia Weaver for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting subject. I found it very interesting and learned a lot. There is so much about this subject I wasn’t aware of. So this book opened up a lot of knowledge

I loved this! As someone who this book directly speak to, I was wary going in on being told "stuff" by people who may not live with it day in/day out. That's not the case at all. Very well written and shows a clear understanding on the subject.

I'm completely on board with the idea of this book. Anything that helps a person gain independence is a plus, autistic or no. The skills in this book are ones we should all have. My complaints are with tone and scope. It takes the form of "here's a very basic thing you need to know and how to do it." There's a small amount of "how" and almost no "why". And my experience with kids on the spectrum would suggest that to many of them "why" is a very important part of "how". I found the tone rather condescending. Add in some significant holes in the "stuff" list and it gives me pause.

This is a very informative book. I read for both personal and professional reasons. If you are a parent of an autistic child or even an adult who wishes to learn more, I’m sure many of these things you have discovered already. That being said, if you have just received a diagnosis or are not familiar with autism this is a great book to read.
This book also includes a how-to guide on life basics such as health, cooking, laundry, and emergencies for those on the Autism Spectrum.


Autism is a complex syndrome that varies from person to person. No two people have the exact same profile. But, as the author reminds us, every person shares the same dreams, wants, and need for understanding. Evan as adults they are often reduced to their deficits because each day is a struggle to find a way to fit in.
However, family members and friends often forget that the person with autism still deserves and needs to be loved and respected for what they CAN do because ultimately what they can do is going to carry them through life.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Working as a school psychologist with young adults preparing for life after high school I found this book to be a great reference for parents and their young adults. Although a lot of what is covered in the book is covered as part of independent living and post-secondary instruction, it does go into more detail than what is often presented in a school setting. I am not sure it was clear who the audience was for this book. Some of the chapters are written at a higher reading level suggesting it is for adults and/or caregivers, while the "testimonials" were written at a lower level suggesting it was for a person with a basic reading ability. The activities were also obviously directed at the young adult. This may have worked better as a series or multiple books purchased together. I can easily see this being a book for parents/caregivers, a book for the young adult, and a workbook that includes multiple worksheets that can be used more than once (so that the young adult can use them when doing their budget or grocery lists).

I have mixed feelings about this book. As an educator/mental health professional who works with individuals with developmental delays, I think the information presented would be useful as part of a life skills curriculum. However, there is nothing in the book that makes it specific to individuals with autism. The topics are general daily living skills that would be applicable to anyone with a developmental/cognitive delay.

My biggest issue is that I'm not sure who the target audience is. The way it is presented makes it look like it's for individuals on the spectrum who are living on their own, but the introductory sections are written toward an educator or caregiver. The way the book is written comes across as very condescending to someone who is high functioning/Asperger's. Many of the vignettes seem overly simple to the point of seeming made up and the activities are very simplistic.

Again, it seems that the content is specifically for individuals who have cognitive delays and issues with daily living. Autism does not equal cognitive delay. The types of issues that an intelligent young adult on the spectrum would face are not captured by the very simplistic information presented here.

Ultimately, I'm giving this book 3/5 stars because I do think it would be useful for a particular population. However, I'm not sure that population is the one this book being directed toward with the title. It would probably be more beneficial to direct this book toward the educators/caregivers than the individual with autism themselves. Individuals who function in such a way that they are buying their own books on autism are not going to benefit from this information.

This book has a pretty limited market as it does not contain any information specific to autism spectrum disorder, rather has information about life presented in a simple way. This book may also be useful for those who have learning disabilities or other cognitive disorders.

The problem with <i>Stuff You Need to Know; A Guide for Young Adults with Autism</i> by Patricia Weaver is that it felt somewhat patronizing through the entire reading experience. While certainly all useful information, much of what is presented could be construed as common sense and is very likely to have been taught by their parents in most circumstances. As this book is said to speak to young adults, I feel that it does not give these people enough credit.

Now, there are some things--such as teaching one how to read the nutrition labels on the back of food--that I believe are more helpful as they are not things the typical person might know, but much of the book spends its time speaking in somewhat demeaning language as it tries to teach its ideas. The language frustratingly reminds me of someone who might use baby talk to speak to a ten year old. It just feels as though the bar of expectations is set a little low. The assumption seems to be that the kids reading this book will have no idea what is being discussed prior to reading the book, which I think is unrealistic.

Personally, this book seems much better suited toward kids than it does young adults. I specifically picture this being beneficial for someone around twelve more so than someone around sixteen years old. From what I can tell, this book might be useful for older kids in the event that their diagnosis is severe. In such cases, almost as it is with anyone and depending on the person, they might not be the sort to read often.

While the information is useful, I don't know if the way it is presented was the best choice. I definitely think the language needs to be modified.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

The Quick Cut: A how-to guide on life basics such as health, cooking, laundry, and emergencies for those on the Autism Spectrum.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Future Horizons for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is one that truthfully I would categorize as more of a workbook than anything else. The chapters are called "Units" and have sections for each topic. Each topic starts with a paragraph introduction told in the form of an example story. These are then followed by some terms & definitions, then a small assignment fore the reader to complete.

With seven units in this book and three sections for each unit, it's a short book. That being said, I can see how this could be absolutely invaluable in the right hands.

For someone like me - an Aspie who is a level 1 on the Autism Spectrum - this reads as pandering and a total waste of time. However, to someone who is possibly a level 2 or definitely a level 3 on the Autism Spectrum? That's a different story because at those levels more support is needed and this type of information isn't as easily learned for them.

My only criticism of this book is that the description and marketing should really point out that this is targeted towards the severely Autistic. Anyone on the higher end, such as level 1, is only going to reject this like a complete waste of space. It wasn't written for them.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

Stuff You Need To Know by Patricia Weaver is a guide for young adult autists, especially when they are ready to move out or get more freedom. I expected it to be more like a compact self help guide, suitable for younger people with their own issues (like social media, how to deal with different social situations, how to deal with unpredictable situations), and while this book touched on them briefly, to me it felt really basic. The chapters have a short introduction with a case, followed by charts you can fill in. I think this book would be really helpful for young adults who are on the more severe side of autism, especially when the chapters are filled in together with an adult, to gain a better understanding of the world, and it will be a useful tool for professionals to use. But for me and other autists I know this would be too easy.

One of those books that may prove invaluable.
Clearly set out, in easy-to-find sections and the topics covered are practical in approach. The case studies are a little simplistic, but they certainly seemed to capture the interest of my autistic son.
Plenty of activities to start discussion, and the examples given are useful.
Shame the info was so specifically targeted to American/Canadian readers, but th3 approach was practical and helpful.

Excellent! A must read for young people on the spectrum.
A little suggestion the examples are very American, needs adaptation for Europe.
Review is scheduled for publication date.

This book is absolutely needed by my students on the spectrum. So much of what's available is geared at younger students, and the older ones are just forgotten, but they need these basic instructions. The book presents each topic in bite-sized pieces, and introduces them in the context of a conversation. It's a real person who is walking through life and helping them to understand what needs to be done and why (such as washing clothes or going to the doctor). The book has good graphics, easy-to-read text, and is easy to reference, should they need to go back and re-read something. Students can get answers to the questions that they didn't even know they had!