Me, My World, and Skinner

This is a book about the power of knowledge, communication, friendship, and courage. Children with autism, depending on their level of need, receive a varied number of services from several therapists by the time they are of school age. These children generally play a passive role; they do not understand why the therapist is doing what he or she is doing. In this book, which is the first in a series, the author attempts to flip the role where the main character learns a basic principle of behavior. Armed with this knowledge, he speaks up against his teacher’s deficient classroom management style despite his fears. This child gets empowered when he sees the effect of his message on the teacher’s behavior. The author also highlights a few of the potential daily struggles of a student with autism in the classroom, especially, when a teacher does not understand some of these challenges or does not communicate with adequate specificity.