Autism Spectrum

Disorders
A guide

What is ASD?
Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability
that generally appears during the first three years of
life. Autism, Asperger syndrome and Pervasive
Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDDNOS) are all part of the autism spectrum. ASD is a
complex neurological disorder that affects a person's
ability to communicate, understand language, play,
and/or relate to others.

Facts
Impacts the normal development of the brain.
Typical difficulties in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal
communication, leisure or play activities.
More prevalent in boys than girls.
Two children with the same diagnosis can act very differently
from one another and have varying skills.
Condition generally presents itself before age three.
In general, autism is found randomly in all segments of
society.
There is no known single cause of autism.

Organizations
Autism Information Center, Department of Health and Human Services, Cen
ters for Disease Control and
Prevention. The CDC provides essential data on ASDs, searches for risk
factors and causes, and develops resources that help identify children
with ASDs as early as possible.
Autism Society of America. The Autism Society exists to improve the lives
of all affected by autism. We do this by increasing public awareness about
the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum, advocating for
appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing the
latest information regarding treatment, education, research and advocacy.
National Institute of Mental Health on Autism Spectrum Disorders. NIMH
seeks to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illness
through research. This site provides information on the symptoms,
treatments, clinical trials, statistics and finding help.

Books
Autism and spirituality [electronic resource] : psyche, self, and spirit in people on
the autism spectrum
/ Olga Bogdashina ; foreword by Christine Trevett. London : Jessica Kingsley
Publishers, 2013.
Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adolescents and Adults [electronic resource] : Eviden
ce-Based and Promising Interventions.
New York : Guilford Publications, 2014.
Autipower
! : [electronic resource] successful living and working with an autism spectrum disor
der
/ Herman Jansen and Betty Rombout ; translated by Karin Lemmen. London : Jessica
Kingsley Publishers, 2014. An electronic book accessible through the World Wide
Web;
The neuroscience of autism spectrum disorders [electronic resource] / edited by
Joseph D. Buxbaum & Patrick R. Hof. Waltham, MA : Academic Press, 2013.
Rethinking autism [electronic resource] : variation and complexity. London ;
Waltham, MA : Academic Press, 2013. An electronic book accessible through the
World Wide Web;

Biographies
Beyond the wall : personal experiences with autism and Asperger syndrome /
Stephen M. Shore ; [foreword by Temple Grandin]. Shawnee Mission, Kan. :
Autism Asperger Pub., 2003. 3rd Level. RC553.A88 S56 2003
Born on a blue day : inside the extraordinary mind of an autistic savant : a
memoir / Daniel Tammet. New York : Free Press, 2007. 3rd Level. RC553.A88
T36 2007
Life behind glass : a personal account of autism spectrum disorder / by Wendy
Lawson. Philadelphia, PA : Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2000. 3rd Level.
RC553.A88 L39 2000
Look me in the eye : my life with Asperger's / John Elder Robison. New York :
Crown Publishers, c2007. 3rd Level. RC553.A88 R635 2007
The reason I jump : the inner voice of a thirteen-year-old boy with autism /
Naoki Higashida ; translated by KA Yoshida and David Mitchell. New York :
Random House, [2013]. 3rd Level. RC553.A88 H5313 2013

Books for Educators

Educating students with autism spectrum disorders [electronic resource] : researchbased principles and practices
/ edited by Dianne Zager, Michael L. Wehmeyer, and Richard L. Simpson. New York :
Routledge, 2012. An electronic book accessible through the World Wide Web
The educator's guide to teaching students with autism spectrum disorders / Josefa
Ben-Arieh, Helen J. Miller. Thousand Oaks, Calif. : Corwin Press, c2009. 3rd Level.
LC4717 .B46 2009
Key learning skills for children with autism spectrum disorders : a blueprint for life /
Thomas L. Whitman and Nicole DeWitt. Philadelphia : Jessica Kingsley Publishers,
2011. 3rd Level. LC4717 .W45 2011
Making inclusion work for students with Autism spectrum disorders : an evidencebased guide / Tristram Smith. New York : Guilford Press, c2012. 3rd Level. LC4718
.S645 2012
A step-by-step curriculum for early learners with autism spectrum disorders /
Lindsay Hilsen. Philadelphia : Jessica Kingsley Publishers, c2012. LC4717 .H55 2012

General Books on Autism

Autism encyclopedia : the complete guide to autism spectrum disorders /
edited by E. Amanda Boutot and Matt Tincani. Waco, Tex. : Prufrock Press,
c2009. 3rd Level. RJ506.A9 A87 2009
Autism spectrum disorders : foundations, characteristics, and effective
strategies / E. Amanda Boutot, Brenda Smith Myles. Upper Saddle River, N.J. :
Pearson/Prentice Hall, c2011. 3rd Level. LC4718 .B68 2011
Autism spectrum disorders : from theory to practice / Laura J. Hall. Upper
Saddle River, N.J. : Merrill/Pearson, c2009. 3rd Level. RJ506.A9 H18 2009
Autism spectrum disorders through the life span / Digby Tantam. Philadelphia:
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2012. 3rd Level. RC553.A88 T368 2012
Visual supports for visual thinkers : practical ideas for students with autism
spectrum disorders and other special educational needs / Lisa Rogers ;
foreword by Gary B. Mesibov. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2013.
3rd Level. LB1043 .R636 2013

Autism Awareness
Autism : a comprehensive occupational therapy approach / edited by Heather
Miller-Kuhaneck, Renee Watling. Bethesda, MD : AOTA, c2010. 3rd
Level.RJ506.A9 A888 2010
Autism and talent / edited by Francesca Happe, Uta Frith. New York : Oxford
University Press, 2010. 3rd Level. RC553.A88 A834 2010
A history of autism [electronic resource] : conversations with the pioneers /
Adam Feinstein. Chichester, West Sussex : Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. An electronic
book accessible through the World Wide Web
Neurodiversity : discovering the extraordinary gifts of autism, ADHD, dyslexia,
and other brain differences / Thomas Armstrong. Cambridge, MA : Da Capo
Lifelong, 2010. 3rd Level. RC455.4.B5 A745 2010
Understanding autism [electronic resource]. [London] : Teachers TV/UK
Department of Education, 2006. A streaming video accessible through the
World Wide Web

Videos
The Autistic child [videorecording] / produced by Clive Holloway ; a production for Open University. [San Diego, Calif.] : Open
University : [distributed by] University Media, c1981.
ARC Storage
VHS 5223
Autism [electronic resource] : a world apart / University of California, School of Journalism, Broadcasting ; for the Los Angeles
Chapter, Autism Society of America. Boston, MA : Fanlight Productions, 1988.
A streaming video accessible through the World Wide Web
Behavioral treatment of autistic children [videorecording] / [a film by] O. Ivar Lovaas ; producer, director, editor, Robert Aller.
Huntington Station, N.Y. : Focus International [distributor], c1988.
ARC Storage
VHS 1175
Breakthroughs [videorecording] : how to reach students with autism / written, produced and directed by Jeff Schultz. Boston, MA :
Fanlight Productions, [1999?].
ARC Storage
VHS 5235
Day by day [videorecording] : raising the child with autism/PDD / produced and directed by Joan F. Goodman, Susan Hoban. New
York, N.Y. : Guilford Publications, Inc., c1992.
ARC Storage
VHS 5162
Generation A [DVD videorecording] : portraits of autism and the arts / Autism Movement Therapy & Goldstreet Pictures Production.
[Warren, New Jersey] : Passion River, [2015].
ARC Storage
DVD 2905

Periodicals
Autism research and treatment [electronic resource].
Cairo : Hindawi Pub. Corp.
Focus on autistic behavior. Rockville, Md. : Aspen
Publishers, -1995.
Focus on autism and other developmental disabilities.
Austin, TX : PRO-ED, c1996 Journal of autism and developmental disorders. New
York, Plenum Press.
Research in autism spectrum disorders. [Amsterdam] :
Elsevier Science, 2007 - present. In ScienceDirect
Freedom Collection

Lesson Plans
The Autism Helper
The Autism Teacher
Digital Wish
Free Lesson Plans for Autistic Kids
Lesson Planet
Lesson Plans to Buy for Autistic Children
Positively Autism