Autism

Watering Can Press Announces Upcoming Release of The Autism Acceptance Book

New York, NY – Watering Can Press will release The Autism Acceptance Book: Being a Friend to Someone with Autism in March 2006. This interactive book uses engaging narrative, activities, conversation starters and journal exercises to help children ages 6 to 12 learn more about autism, develop understanding for people different from themselves and embrace the power they have to be kind, compassionate and helpful through their actions.

Half of all profits from the book’s sale will be donated to Autism Speaks, a leading nonprofit organization that raises awareness of autism and supports research for a cure. All Watering Can books are built to be appealing to children with colorful illustrations, upbeat narrative, engaging activities and journal and scrapbook pages that allow children to customize their book. Previous Watering Can releases have won numerous awards and been recommended by parents, teachers, community leaders and media outlets including Parenting Magazine, Parents Magazine, The Associated Press and Learning Magazine.

The Autism Acceptance Book helps children understand how the challenges, likes and dislikes of a person with autism may be different from their own. It encourages them to “walk in someone else’s shoes” and to imagine how they would like to be treated in various situations. As with all Watering Can titles, it also empowers children to help others through their actions.

According to Autism Speaks, 1 in 166 people is diagnosed with autism, a neurobiological disorder that impairs a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. This project began when the father of a child with autism approached Watering Can founder Ellen Sabin and asked her to use the proven format of her books to communicate information about autism to children. Sabin has pledged to donate half of all profits made from the book to Autism Speaks. “All our books are about building character in children by letting them express their thoughts, feelings and ideas about certain topics,” says Sabin. “As I researched this book, I learned that autism can be a very hard concept for young people to understand and so we created activities that let children use their personal experiences and imagination to empathize with the challenges individuals with autism might face.”

The Autism Acceptance Book is ideal for use at home or in the classroom. Watering Can offers free teacher’s guides that link the book’s content to state and national curriculum standards on its Web site. More information about Autism Speaks is available at Autism Speaks .Watering Can books are available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon and other major retailers across the country. The books can also be purchased directly at Watering Can Books .