One of the tools in dealing with the challenges of ASD can be finding a good kids' magazine for autistic children. Unfortunately, while there are plenty of resources for adults, kids don't have much out there.
Resources for Parents and More
There are plenty of magazines and other resources for adults, whether teachers, health care professionals, parents, or all three. This is a good thing, because one of the great challenges of treating autistic children is not only that every autistic child has individual needs. This might not be so bad in and of itself, but the fact is that the team of adults who are in charge of treatment may have very different ideas about the proper method of therapy, adding another level of complication.
With the help of journals and magazines, people whose lives are affected by autism can learn about others' experiences and share their own, using other ideas of what worked and what didn't to improve their own strategy. This can be as esoteric as dietary changes or as direct as a new way to organize the child's playroom.
Some of the magazines designed to address the problems of teaching autism for both the layperson and professionals are:
- Spectrum Magazine - This is both a website and a print magazine with many articles both on political and medical issues in the world of autism.
- The Autism Asperger's Digest Magazine covers viewpoints and research from around the world.
- The Autism File addresses many ASD and other related disorders such as attention deficit disorder.
The Together in Autism website has a comprehensive list of other magazines and newsletters. None of these, however, directly addresses the attention of the child directly.
One Source for Kids and Adults
There is one magazine with great activities and ideas for parents and children: Positively Autism.
Positively Autism saves the trees and is in the format of an e-magazine. You can subscribe to it via email, and each issue is filled with ideas and how-to articles. Even better than the print versions of articles is the inclusion of videos on subjects such as: "A Token Reward System," "Teaching Color Sorting" or "File Folder Games."
Thomas, the Unintended Kid's Magazine for Autistic Children
Though it was not intended directly as such, many people have noticed an affinity for the television show Thomas the Choo Choo among autistic children. Many children with Asperger's and other types of ASD often respond well to familiar things, so if Thomas is already in their lives then a magazine featuring the intrepid train can be a treat.
Whether used as a reward, a tool to encourage reading, or simply a way to keep the environment around the child friendly and comfortable, the best way to find a kid's magazine for autistic children is simply to observe what kinds of magazines, if any, attract their attention, and then encourage them to interact with the magazine. Sharing it with them can improve autistic children's relationship with all parts of their environment, and that's a tool worth having.
