Children with ASD struggle when trying to learn social skills, and the lack of social skills may have a bigger impact on their life than any other aspect. Peers can bully them for their differences and it is important that these children learn these skills as early as possible to minimize the effects of bullying and rejection from peers. Knowing these skills will help them be stronger people and make them less vulnerable to the actions of others.

Children learn from stories that share the same experiences that they may be having. Reading to your ASD child also provides the opportunity to provide the repetition that they need to absorb learning of new skills. It also provides the opportunity to role play skills that they don’t seem to comprehend simply from the story. Further, the reading of these stories lets ASD children that they are not alone in the challenges that they face.

Diane Murrell, the author of two stories is the parent of children with ASD and has a first-hand understanding of the challenges they face. Tobin Learns to Make Friends teaches some of the skills necessary to make friends.

Children with ASD want to make and keep friends but often lack the skills to do so. Murrel highlights some of the skills necessary using incidents of shouting, crowding, sharing, borrowing, interrupting, taking turns, being kind, having good manners, and following rules.

Also by the same author Oliver Onion - The Onion Who Learns to Accept and Be Himself builds on the friendship building skills that were learned in “Tobin Learns to Make Friends,” This book is aimed at children aged 4-10 and helps children with ASD accept who they are.