Rules, by Cynthia Lord is the most charming book for Young Adults I've read in a long time. Clearly Lord has experience with children with special needs- and totally captures the ins and outs of the daily life of living with a brother with autism.
Lord tells the story from the perspective of Catherine, a girl with younger brother who has autism. Catherine keeps a rule book for her brother in order to teach him the social norms of life that do not come so easily to children with an autism spectrum disorder.
Some rules include:
If the bathroom door is closed, knock! (especially if Catherine has a friend over).
Say thank you when someone gives you a present (even if you don't like it).
Don't stand in front of the TV when other people are watching it.
A boy takes off his shirt to swim, but not his shorts.
Some people think they know who you are, when really they don't.
No toys in the fishtank.
Kind of makes me want to make a list of rules for other people in life- not just those with autism. But then, perhaps one of my own rules should be "Will not make rules for other people because it is rude and will not make people want to be your friend".
2 comments:
Or you could make rules, but then add in a super secret self rule about how you can't get upset with friends who break the rules until it starts making you want to poke your eyes out.
Love that book.
Or you could make rules, but then add in a super secret self rule about how you can't get upset with friends who break the rules until it starts making you want to poke your eyes out.
Love that book.
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