Understanding the Challenge of “No” for Children with Autism
Improve communication, increase positivity, and enhance relationships with guidance from insights of an experienced teacher of children with autism.
“No running. No jumping, No talking. No shoes, no shirt—no service. Speaking in this style of negative speaking is as common and ingrained as answering the telephone with ‘Hello.’ To the majority of society, the message is direct, concise, and typically understood. Unfortunately, children with autism struggle with deciphering statements requesting the negation of an action. While it is not impossible for these children to learn some regularly used negative statements, it takes more effort and exposure to the exact phrasing to produce understanding.”
-excerpt from Understanding the Challenge of “No” for Children with Autism
The author invites readers on a journey in unfolding small layers of awareness, illuminating how carefully chosen words can greatly enhance a relationship with a child with autism. The pages in this book are filled with teachable tales exploring the communication, emotional regulation, and relationship difficulties that common habitual language may trigger when engaging children with autism.
Each tale absorbs the reader in a typical life scenario related to specific usage of the word, no, creating an engaging, informative, and personally relatable experience.
Discussions following each tale embed autism education and psychology theories to promote conceptualization and offer suggestions for enriched interactions.
This gem of a little book is
- Enlightening;
- Helpful in concrete ways;
- Emotionally supportive; and
- Just plain engaging!
The ability to thoughtfully choose our vocabulary when communicating with children with autism resides within each of us and can result in improving communication, increasing positivity, and enhancing relationships.
SHOP
Paperback and Kindle available for purchase at:
MSI Press
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
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AWARDS
Kops-Fethering International Book Award 2020
Legacy Award in Education
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https://bookauthority.org/books/best-positivity-books
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Reader Views Review
Colette McNeil
MSI Press (2018)
ISBN: 9781942891765
Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Reader Views (10/2020)
“Understanding the Challenge of No for Children with Autism: Improving Communication, Increasing Positivity, Enhancing Relationships,” by Colette McNeil, is an amazing self-help book that explores what concepts and meanings the word “No” can have in the daily lives of children with Autism. Designed to improve relationships and communication, this little book is packed with real-life scenarios and advice to help lessen the tension and burden of the word “no” for children, parents, caregivers, teachers, counselors, relatives, and other significant people in the child’s world.
The main idea of the book is better communication and breaking down the word “no” into manageable pieces. Children with Autism need patience, understanding, and a tailored form of communication; and McNeil is a phenomenal source of information, technique, and experience. This author has the uncanny ability to simplify complex ideas, so that almost anyone can understand them and carry them out.
Children with Autism often are frustrated when they hear the word “no”, and don’t understand where the parent or other adult is coming from. This frustration can, in turn, cause frustration for the parent or adult, which creates an unfortunate cycle of miscommunications. “Meltdowns” often happen because of these miscommunications. Many adults and relatives of children with Autism have no expectations of improvement or aren’t aware that a change in communication can lead to a happier child, less stress, and more productive relations.
Learning about the word “no” is a social skill every child needs to learn. Accepting “no” is never easy for a child–(even for some adults!)–but can be especially hard for a child on the spectrum who is more comfortable with patterns and repetitive behaviors. But as the author explains, simple changes in language and word choice can make all the difference and improve communication. McNeil wisely uses anecdotal scenarios to illustrate her points and teaches readers how to better use the word “no”. These scenes with Corey, Machoa, Talia, and the other children make the concepts highly relatable, and enjoyable, and are my favorite parts of the book. The communication strategies McNeil offers seem so simple, yet most people never think about them, even parents of children with Autism.
“Understanding the Challenge of No for Children with Autism: Improving Communication, Increasing Positivity, Enhancing Relationships,” by Colette McNeil, will immediately open new pathways of communication and is a little gem that should be in every parent, caregiver, and professional’s library.
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Readers Favorite 5 Star Review!
Reviewed by Edith Wairimu for Readers’ Favorite
Understanding the Challenge of “No” for Children with Autism is an incredibly resourceful book that will help any parent, guardian or teacher relate constructively to a child with autism. It is full of useful practical examples that expanded my knowledge on the topic and helped me grasp the message contained in the book. Colette McNeil carefully presents different situations between a child with autism and their parent or teacher. I was able to understand how to phrase sentences meaningfully so as to communicate effectively with children with the disorder, and ultimately build my relationship with them. McNeil also includes other important features on the topic such as taking responsibility for better communication, and the importance of using simple phrases, which I thought were quite helpful and applicable. Overall, reading Understanding the Challenge of “No” for Children with Autism by Colette McNeil was truly enlightening.
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Library Bookwatch: June 2018James A. Cox, Editor-in-ChiefMidwest Book Review278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/lbw/jun_18.htm#Autism
The Autism Shelf
Understanding the Challenge of “No” for Children with AutismColette McNeilMSI Press, LLChttp://msipress.com9781942891765 $12.95 pbk / $3.99 Kindle amazon.com
Understanding the Challenge of “No” for Children with Autism: Improving Communication, Increasing Positivity, Enhancing Relationships is a candid parenting and educator’s guide by author Colette McNeil, who has spent 20 years instructing students with autism and related disorders. Each teaching strategy is framed with a sample life-scenario connected to the use of the word “no”. For example, how should a mother teach her autistic 4-year-old to stop running in a busy parking lot upon uttering the demand “NO!”, especially when her child consistently does not respond to verbal instructions without accompanying physical contact? How should a grade school teacher respond when an autistic girl throws tantrums because she is told “No”, she can’t have the foods she wants for lunch? Understanding the Challenge of “No” for Children with Autism is a “must-have” for parents with and educators responsible for autistic children, highly recommended.
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/lbw/jun_18.htm#Autism