Life Skills

How to Teach Life Skills to Kids with Autism or Asperger’s

By Jennifer McIlwee Myers

Summary: In order for our kids to become independent in adulthood, they will need to learn the same life skills as neurotypical kids, who generally have an easier time and are often more motivation to learn these skills. How to Teach Life Skills to Kids with Autism or Aspergers by Jennifer McIllwee Myers provides a framework for helping our kids gain these crucial skills for independence. The author was herself diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at the age of 36. The book covers many areas of independence, with suggestions for how to teach not only the skills but the value of learning and using the skills in life, as many of the skills are as much practical skills as skills with social value: chores, punctuality, going on outings, organizing clothes, appropriate attire, task switching, and kindness, to name just some of the skills addressed.

Why we recommend this book: Through her life experiences, the author discovered how learning life skills benefits not only the children but the people who live with them and teach them. Myers’ down-to-earth writing style and first-person insights into life-skills challenges for people with autism make the book an informative and interesting read for parents. Many of the recommendations are based on common sense and using the autistic child’s own cognitive learning style to help them develop skills for the real world.