Growing Together Across the Autism Spectrum – A Kid’s Guide to Living With, Learning From, and Loving a Parent With Autism Spectrum Disorder

A parent with ASD can provide his or her children deep love and support, along with a perspective on the world that is wonderfully unique. At the same time, the emotional and physical demands of parenting can be taxing for someone with autism.

This book tackles a topic that has received little attention – the relationship between a neurotypical child and a parent on the spectrum.  As such, this illustrated children’s book provides a conversational starting point for families with a parent on the autism spectrum. While narrated from the perspective of a boy whose father has ASD and a mother who does not, his thoughts and questions apply equally to other variations of this family structure.

While an ASD parent craves order, reason, and predictability, the experience of parenthood is inherently chaotic. This book fills a critical gap in resources for children and families with parents on the autism spectrum. It takes children’s feelings of love, confusion, and worry seriously and promotes mutual respect, affection, and accountability among family members. Overall, this title reflects the importance of every family member’s commitment to growing together.