National Autism Awareness Month
April is Autism Awareness Month. Santa Ana Public Library honors the contributions of people on the autism spectrum and joins in celebrating diversity with inclusive programming and resources to recognize the needs of people on the autism spectrum and their families.
Books for Teens
The Pattern Seekers: How Autism Drives Human Invention
by Baron-Cohen, Simon
Same But Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express
by Peete, Holly Robinson
Talk show host Holly Robinson Peete pairs with her twins in this narrative about the challenges and triumphs of being a teen who has autism and the effects on family, school, friends, and life.. Through alternating narratives based on their own lives, Ryan Elizabeth Peete and her twin brother, RJ, who has autism, bravely and honestly reveal what it means to be a teen living with the disorder
Understanding Autism: The essential guide for parents
by Williams, Katrina
Authors Katrina Williams and Jacqueline Roberts bring considerable experience to the table, and clearly, comfortingly explain how to cope with common problematic behaviors, conditions that can often appear in conjunction with autism (such as anxiety and depression), and how best to manage the child's transition to adulthood.
Connecting With The Autism Spectrum
by Vormer, Casey
This comprehensive guide is a trusted source for understanding neurodiversity that features a brief introduction to the autism spectrum. It also provides easy communication strategies like active listening and positive encouragement as well as steps to avoid misunderstandings by teaching how to recognize biases and correct them.
It's Not a Perfect World, But I'll Take It
by Rose, Jennifer
Jennifer Rose is autistic. She's also a college student who loves reading, writes fan fiction, and wants to be on TV someday. She sees the world a little differently than most people around her. She's had trouble coping with school, has struggled with bullies and mean girls, but she has also achieved much in the face of adversity. Jennifer explains how you can be different and still connect with others, how to deal with tough realities, and how to celebrate happy times. Told with irresistible honesty and humor, Jennifer's fifty bite-sized stories will have teens and adults nodding in recognition and gaining new insights about themselves.
Gender Identity, Sexuality and Autism: Voices from Across the Spectrum
by Mendes, Eva A.
By providing knowledge and advice based on in-depth research and personal accounts, the narratives will be immensely valuable to teenagers, adults, partners and families. The authors round these stories with a discussion of themes across narratives, and implications for the issues discussed. In the final chapter, the authors reflect on commonly asked questions from a clinical perspective, bringing in relevant research, as well as sharing best-practice tips and considerations that may be helpful for LGBTQIA and ASD teenagers and adults. These may also be used by family members and clinicians when counselling teenagers and adults on the dual spectrum.
The Autism Full Employment Act
by Bernick, Michael
The Autism Full Employment Act shows how there can be a place in the job world for the wide range of adults with autism, ADHD, and other learning and mental health differences--many of whom are not employed today. Bernick and Dr. Vismara review the autism employment initiatives in recent years among major employers, state and local governments, autism-focused businesses, and autism transition programs, and present strategies to build on these initiatives.
The Awesome Autistic Go-To Guide: A Practical Handbook for Autistic Teens and Tweens
by Purkis, Yenn
This is a guide for young people aged 10-14 on the autism spectrum. It encourages teens and tweens to identify their strengths, suggests how they can develop their identity, and celebrates neurodiversity. It also has tips for managing tricky situations such as anxiety and meltdowns, as well as fun activities and interactive sections.
Free Movies and Documentaries on Kanopy
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Directed by Zac Adams
Autism in America: Putting the puzzle together, one beautiful piece at a time, is a genuine and straightforward look into the Autism Spectrum Disorder as told by the families and individuals living with Autism daily. Many parents are interviewed including Ruth Sullivan, Ph.D., the mother of a man named Joe who was the inspiration for Dustin Hoffman’s autistic character in the movie “Rain Man.” We also hear from a young woman named Alexis, the first autistic person to run for the title of Miss America.
Directed by Sandrine Bonnaire
An intelligent, moving and beautiful portrait of Sabine, a 38-year-old autistic woman, filmed by her sister, the famous French actress Sandrine Bonnaire. Through personal footage filmed over a period of 25 years, it is revealed that Sabine's growth and many talents were crushed by improper diagnosis and an inadequate care structure. After a tragic five-year stay in a psychiatric hospital, Sabine finally finds a new lease on life in a home together with other young people living with similar mental and emotional illnesses. This very intimate film also sends an urgent message to a society that still does not know how to properly take care of its citizens with physical and psychological disabilities.
Directed by Roger Ross Williams
This emotional coming-of-age story follows Owen as he graduates to adulthood and takes his first steps toward independence. LIFE, ANIMATED evocatively interweaves classic Disney sequences with verite scenes from Owen’s life in order to explore how his identification and empathy for Disney characters gave him a means to understand his feelings and interpret reality. Owen’s story is a moving testament to how stories can serve as a means of persevering through the dark times, leading us all toward the light.
Directed by Michelle Friedline
A clever and dapper man in his 50s with Autism Spectrum Disorder, finds self-acceptance, a unique ability to fit into his neurotypical world and unconditional love. Though R.V. Kuser has learned to mask the many limitations of his disability and function successfully in our neurotypical world, his triumph comes at a cost. He can act neurotypical, but for only a limited time before regressing into a more genuine version of himself, who he claims to be at his core. His sharp transformation is truly unforgettable.
Directed by Samantha Buck
Janet Mino has taught her class of students with autism for four years. When they graduate in spring 2012, they will leave the security of the public school system forever. BEST KEPT SECRET follows them the year before graduation. The clock is ticking to find them a place in the adult world, so they do not end up where their predecessors have, sitting at home, institutionalized, or on the streets.
Directed by Jerry Rothwell
Based on the best-selling book by Naoki Higashida, later translated into English by author David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas), THE REASON I JUMP is an immersive cinematic exploration of neurodiversity through the experiences of nonspeaking autistic people from around the world. The film blends Higashida's revelatory insights into autism, written when he was just 13, with intimate portraits of five remarkable young people. It opens a window for audiences into an intense and overwhelming, but often joyful, sensory universe.