ARA Review by Heather McMillan 2 of Lets Talk! a story of autism and friendship

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Heather McMillan 2
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Joined: 23 May 2023, 19:58
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ARA Review by Heather McMillan 2 of Lets Talk! a story of autism and friendship

Post by Heather McMillan 2 »

[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, Lets Talk! a story of autism and friendship.]
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4 out of 5 stars
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4 out of 5 stars for Let's Talk! a story of autism and friendship.

As a special education teacher, I was so excited to see a book geared toward helping typical peers to interact with peers with autism. Set at the community pool, it is the story of how Harper and Emma become friends. Harper sees a new girl at the pool who is "being silly" as she flaps her hands. Unphased by this different behavior, the girls play together. Harper does wonder why her new friend is so quiet. When it is time to go home, Emma refuses to give back the tube she has taken from Harper. Will this new friendship end before it gets started or will the girls learn how to communicate effectively?

This is a sweet story about accepting people for who they are and learning that there are different ways to communicate. I love that it takes place in the summer as many books that tackle this subject do so in the school setting exclusively. The subject of augmentative communication is introduced in a non-threatening and simple manner. The characters are 7 years old and the story is appropriate for children in that age range. It is told from Harper's viewpoint which makes it more relatable for children. Illustrations are well done and add cultural diversity.

The story does feel more clinical than I would like for a children's book. Some pages have a lot of text to explain a concept and it might loose young readers. I wish it had a little more about how Harper feels as she learns how to overcome the challenges of a friend with autism.

Overall, it is a good introductory tool for forming friendships with neurodiverse peers. It would be great to use in the classroom or at home to explain how some children might act differently.

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