Teaching Life Skills Autism: Books to Add to your Toolbox

Learn about teaching life skills autism with these great books to add to your toolbox.

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Teaching Life Skills Autism

Teaching life skills can feel very overwhelming because there are so many different skills. I want to give you the confidence that you can teach these skills because I will break the skills down for you in easy steps. I will also provide you with visuals and checklists to help you teach a variety of life skills. You can learn more about the life skills resources with the Mega Bundle of Functional Life Skills Resources Here.

Books for Teaching Life Skills

Below is a list of books and resources I have come across when researching ways to help teach life skills to autistic children, teens, or adults. I have personally read these books and found them all to be helpful in their own unique ways. Check them out for yourself and see if they can help you think of new ways to help teach life skills.

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

The first book to add to your toolbox is How to Teach Life Skills to Kids with Autism or Asperger's.

How to Teach Life Skills to Kids with Autism or Asperger's by Jennifer Mcllwee Myers

I have enjoyed reading and getting to understand Jennifer's perspective. I always want to take the time to learn from adults with Autism or Asperger's. Jennifer's personal experience with Asperger's Syndrome and having a brother with autism makes her perspective doubly insightful. Jennifer can show you how to:

Create opportunities for children to learn in natural settings and situations
Teach vital skills such as everyday domestic tasks, choosing appropriate attire, and being polite
Help individuals on the spectrum develop good habits that will help them be more fit and healthy
Improve time management skills such as punctuality and task-switching and much more!

Jennifer's straightforward and humorous delivery will keep you eagerly turning the page for her next creative solution!

Steps to Independence: Teaching Everyday Skills to Children with Special Needs

The next book to add to your toolbox is Steps to Independence: Teaching Everyday Skills to Children with Special Needs.

Steps to Independence: Teaching Everyday Skills to Children with Special Needs, Fourth Edition by Bruce L. Baker and Alan J. Brightman

This book gives parents of children from age 3 through young adulthood proven strategies for teaching children the life skills they'll need to live as independently as possible. Parents will start with a reader-friendly overview of the basics of teaching and then go deeper with a step-by-step guide to teaching seven different types of skills: get-ready, self-help, toilet training, play, self-care, home-care, and information gathering skills. In this fourth edition, they'll also find helpful updates and additions, such as

an expanded section on managing behavior problems, including guidance on identifying the problems, examining behavior, initiating a behavior management program, and encouraging alternative behaviors
a chapter on technology that reflects recent advances and shows how to benefit from using email, instant messaging, Internet communities, search engines, and software
a chapter on strengthening partnerships with other teachers in the child's life during IEP meetings, through classroom volunteer work, and in everyday communication with them

Get your Free Autism Life Skills Checklist

Below you can get your free life skills checklist that you can use to help your autistic teen or young adult learn these life skills to increase their independence and quality of life. Just enter your email address below to get your free life skills checklist.

Autism Life Skills: From Communication and Safety to Self-Esteem and More

Another book that is great to add to your toolbox is Autism Life Skills: From Communication and Safety to Self-Esteem and More.

Autism Life Skills: From Communication and Safety to Self-Esteem and More – 10 Essential Abilities Every Child Needs and Deserves to Learn by Chantal Sicile-Kira

This book provides advice and reflections from autistic adults across the spectrum, as well as Sicile-Kira's own experience as an advocate and parent of an autistic teen, the book covers these ten essential life skills:

Making Sense of the World
Communication
Safety
Self-Esteem
Pursuing Interests
Self-Regulation
Independence
Social Relationships
Self- Advocacy *Earning a Living

Taking Care of Myself 2: For Teenagers and Young Adults with ASD

If your teen is struggling with personal hygiene care skills this is a great book to add to your toolbox.

Taking Care of Myself 2: for Teenagers and Young Adults with ASD by Mary Wrobel

This book was written for teenagers and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), this instructional book is also for parents, instructors, and therapists to help teens on the autism spectrum. The information is written in an easy-to-understand manner with simple how-to lists. This book is geared for use in an instructional or home setting for any teenager or young adult with ASD. Topics covered include: dressing for different events, feeling anxious in social situations, public versus private behaviors, staying healthy, anxiety, depression, and feeling suicidal, social media issues, sexual harassment, finding and keeping friends (including a boyfriend or girlfriend), safe and responsible sex, and deciding to have sex with a partner, and more.

I hope you find these additional resources helpful on your journey to teaching life skills. Let me know in the comments if you have any other books or resources you have found helpful!