Book
Reviews & Links
Autism
Society of America Book Reviews
More on The Incredible 5-Point
Scale | More on When My
Worries Get Too Big!
Reviews and More on A 5
is Against the Law! | How
to Use A 5 Could Make Me Lose Control
Related Links
Autism
Society of America Book Reviews:
The Incredible 5-Point Scale
outlines a remarkable strategy geared toward higher-functioning
children in a variety of situations. Buron and Curtis
were struck with the idea to write the book while working
with a five year old boy with Asperger's Disorder who,
when speaking, always used a loud voice. Together, they
taught him to equate his voice with a number scale. Over
time, he learned that his loudest voice was a "5",
being quiet was a "1" and that using a "2
or 3" level voice was most appropriate.
The 1-5 scale system is applicable for a
variety of behaviors and responses to behaviors, including
feelings of anxiety, obsessions, concepts of personal
space and feelings of anger. The book includes stories
suitable to be read to a child, visual scales and tips
on how to implement the particular scale. I found the
book to be a very comprehensive teaching tool.
When My Worries Get Too Big
is the companion book that also uses a 1-5 scale system.
It is written from the perspective of a child to explain
that, when he is calm and happy, his autism is a "1",
but when overwhelmed or upset, his autism "gets too
big" and is a "5". Throughout the book,
there are blank spaces for the child to draw. It is a
wonderful tool that features a simple-to-use strategy
that can help children with autism spectrum disorders
successfully understand and cope with their own behavioral
challenges in a positive, supportive fashion.
More
on The Incredible 5-Point Scale:
I use this every day!, August 13,
2005
Reviewer: Tara
Tuchel (Hudson, WI USA) - See
all my reviews
This book is fantastic! The authors share
their incredible insight into how to help children on
the autism spectrum communicate using numbers instead
of words. The information in the book is practical and
easy to use. I use 5 point scales in my classroom evey
single day to teach volume and body control. My students
are learning self-regulation! Many thanks to the authors
for sharing their discovery!
Five Stars for Five Point Scale,
July 23, 2005
Reviewer: Kristi
A. Sakai (Oregon) - See
all my reviews
The concept in this book is one of those
that makes you say, "Well YEAH, DUH." Because
it's so simple and workable you wished you'd thought of
it yourself! The basic premise is any behavior goal you
want to work on with a child can be addressed in a five
point scale. I'll give my son as an example. He yells
like a maniac...when he's just talking in his normal voice.
This drives me CRAZY. So, his scale is 5: I'm being kidnapped,
or I'm just having a really, really, really good time
on the playground OUTSIDE. 4. Loud play, but not ear piercing.
3. NORMAL INSIDE VOICE (my favorite) 2. Shhhh, whisper
and 1. SILENCE (okay, I fibbed, many times THIS is my
favorite.) It can also be used for expressing how the
CHILD is FEELING. Anxiety levels, fear levels. The idea
is that you can address many different issues whether
at home or school, it gives clear examples, reproducable
sheets and it's an easy concept for teachers, parents
and kids to understand. I also love the companion book
"When My Autism Gets Too Big", which I highly
recommend for kids (and for the adults who care about
them.) Incidentally, while the examples in the book are
color coded and they are ingeneious ways to implement
them in the school and classroom--as a parent I think
that there's a reason gave me FIVE FINGERS! The Incredible
Five Point Scale of course!! When I hold up three fingers,
my son's voice automatically lowers because it's his signal
to go DOWN on the scale.
More
on When My Worries Get Too Big!
Excellent For Everyone!, August 5,
2005
Reviewer: Bobbie
A. Freeman "Aunt Bobbie" (PA) - See
all my reviews
This book is really great to share not only
with my spectrum kids but with siblings as well. I bought
this book to use with my nephew with high functioning
autism. I also use this book with the many other children
I work with as a Behavior Consultant. This book is a useful
tool to utilize to assist with those "moments"
we experience with our kids. MUST BUY!!!
Aunt Bobbie
Awesome book, June 16, 2005
Reviewer: M.
Sloan (Fargo, ND USA) - See
all my reviews
My 8 year old son with pdd-nos has claimed
this book as his own. We had to read it three times the
night it arrived. I wish we'd had this book years ago!
This book teaches calming techniques in
the form of a social story, written from the first person.
"Now my autism is at a level 5, and it's time to
fight back!" so it's easier for my child to incorporate.
My son was practicing calming last night, something he's
NEVER attempted before.
If you have a child (especially autistic)
under age 10 who tends to have violent tantrums, you need
this book. Be sure you get one for each autistic kid,
as there are activities at the end for the child to describe
how they feel at each level.
Speaks to ASD Children in a Way They
Can Understand, May 21, 2005
Reviewer: Kristi
A. Sakai (Oregon) - See
all my reviews
I am the mother of three children with autism
spectrum disorder. I first read this book about a year
ago, along with its companion The Incredible Five Point
Scale. Initially my intent was merely to use it with my
then four year old child with ASD and she did respond
remarkably to it. But I was further surprised to discover
my older children then aged 9 and 12 were drawn to it
too. They asked ME to go over it with them. On their own
they individually said to me, "I need a scale for..."
For the older son he said, "Mama, you're always telling
me to be quiet (he has a BOOMING VOICE even when whispering),
maybe I need to learn how to use a lower number for my
voice." When My Autism Gets Too Big shows insight
into the asd child's world--what he can feel good about
and what is hard for him. It doesn't whitewash the difficulties,
or downplay them,but at the same time it doesn't make
them seem insurmountable. Then it lays out in a very easy
to understand way--for example, the levels of stress a
child has, what it might look like, how it feels for him,
and what to do about it. It gives a clear concise way
to not only judge where the child is at--for himself and
for his caregivers,but a tool to figure out where to go
next. It can be used is such a broad variety of ways,
you can use it to address any behavior goal you have with
your child. My child with the loud voice, for example:
Five is screaming like he's dying (emergency voice), Four
is yelling while playing outside, Three is a "normal"
speaking voice, Two is whispering and One is completely
quiet--no words. Reading this book with my children was
the catalyst for making it okay to develop this type of
program for each of them for their very different needs,
and it has been incredibly effective. Plus,Kari Dunn Buron's
illustrations are so gosh darn cute, but more than that
they are remarkably expressive. It amazes me that she
is able to convey such clear emotions, while at the same
time having an almost affectionate humor about the reality
of life with an ASD child. The pictures alone, program
aside, are worth the purchase of this book. Once read
I have donated nearly every book on ASD I have ever purchased
to our local therapy center...but I can't part with this
one. It is already well worn and much loved. I have pulled
it off the shelf many times when one of my kids has a
recognizable expression of distress and when I point to
the corresponding picture, they often react with relief.
I can show them without having to verbally express it,
where they are at, and they are glad to be able to see
it for themselves. An excellent tool. I also highly recommend
buying The Incredible Five Point Scale, which elaborates
on this concept and gives many more ideas on how to implement
them. Both are excellent for use in both school and home.
Incidentally--often ASD parents have their hands full
enough without having to manage more visual aides, my
philosophy is that's why God must have given us FIVE fingers,
so we can use them to show our kid where they are on the
Five Point Scale. My digits are regularly used for this
purpose.
An
excerpt from: A 5 is Against
the Law!
One of the interesting and sometimes confusing
things about social behavior is that when you are young,
you might do something that people consider a #2 behavior
- that is, something that is perfectly acceptable. But,
then when you are a little older, that same behavior turns
into a #3 - a little odd.
One example of this is a friend of mine
(we'll call him Fred), who likes hair. He loves the way
it feels and the way it smells. When Fred was in elementary
school, he used to touch other students' hair. Sometimes,
if he was behind someone waiting in line to go to recess
or to get a drink of water, he would lean his head towards
the person and smell his or her hair. People thought this
was a little weird, but nobody was really afraid of him.
Fred was just a little boy, so everyone thought the behavior
was just a #3 (a little odd).
When Fred started middle school, he still
liked to smell hair, so he would look for opportunities
to get as close as possible to someone else's hair. One
day, he put his face really close to a girl's hair, and
she screamed! Not only that, she told the principal and
her parents that Fred was harassing her by scaring her.
The principal agreed that Fred's behavior, once considered
a #3, had now become a #4 - truly scary and possibly against
the law.
How Can I Use This Book?
This is a workbook designed to be used
in Social Skills groups or counseling sessions. The book
is written in the "voice" of a logical, black
and white thinker. Information about personal boundaries
and relationships is delivered through easy to read scenarios,
a 5-point scale to better understand the concepts involved,
and an activity to do in the group or with a support person.
Glowing Comments
about A 5 is Against the Law!
