MSI Press Blog

Susan Boyle stunned the world on  Britain’s Got Talent —not just with her voice, but with her story. Diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome as an adult, she had long struggled with social anxiety and bullying. But her passion for music never wavered. Her autism shaped her emotional depth and intense focus, allowing her to master complex vocal arrangements. Boyle’s rise to fame wasn’t just a triumph of talent—it was a triumph of authenticity. She didn’t fit the mold—and that’s why she broke it. Her success redefined what it means to be a star. Post inspired by Colette McNeil's books on autism:  Choice and Structure for Children with Autism . Entienda el desafino de -no - en los ninos con autismo , and Understanding the Challenge of "No" for Children with Autism   by Colette McNeil.  Read more posts about Colette and her books  HERE . To purchase copies of any MSI Press book at 25% discount, use code FF25 at  MSI Press webstore . Want to read an MSI Press bo...

  Excerpt from Choice and Structure for Children with Autism (McNeil) -  Chapter 1 Introduction Choice & Structure for Children with Autism is about identifying and celebrating the role of structure in supporting autistic children. We want children with autism to do more than exist—not just live, but confidently engage in home life. We desire for them to do more than survive. We hold out hope that they grow to the best of their individual potentials. Research and experience have shown autism advocates that structure is a great tool to that end. Children with autism absolutely thrive within high levels of structure. In the following chapters, I hope to show how that structure does not need to be rigid, overbearing, or difficult.   Many Long Days at Home Our regular routines of school and work during the week and predictable weekend activities help all of us maintain balance. We know the schedule, we plan for the expectations, and we live these routines comfortably. W...

  excerpt from Choice and Structure for Children with Autism -  Structured Choice   Presenting two to four choices to children multiple times throughout each activity will help them to be cooperative, focused and engaged. Further the presentation of choices gives children an opportunity to share their thoughts and interests helping them to feel worthwhile and significant. These feelings raise the level of a child’s self-confidence. Self-confidence feels good, improving the child’s mood and relationships. In the following sections, insights to the details of Structured Choice are provided. It may seem like quite-a-bit of information, yet once processed the act of utilizing Structure Choice is quick, easy and empowering for both children and adults.   How Many Choices to Offer? Here are some tips for deciding how many choices to offer:   Two choices: ·        Two choices are good during natural conversation where two options are eas...

  Colette McNeil recently won the Pinnacle Books Achievement Awards' parenting category for her book, Choice and Structure for Children with Autism.   Choice and Structure for Children with Autism  has also won the Readers Views gold award for education and the Readers View silver award for parenting. For more posts about Colette and her book, click HERE . For posts about other Pinnacle Book Achievement Award winners, click  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter  here  or on our  home page . Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author-signed copy  of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discoun...

I was inspired to write Choice and Structure for Children with Autism initially due to the struggles parents were expressing with having their families locked down, in-home, during the beginning stages of the pandemic in spring 2020. Little did I know at the time the Pandemic disruption to daily life would continue for another 3 years. Children with autism generally live very directed and adult guided lives from the time of their diagnosis throughout their school years. Autistic children receive special school supports and therapies from multiple professionals as well as distinct after school and home therapies. As part of their diagnosis, these children often struggle with down-time and may either become withdrawn or agitated without the structure and predictability of adult guided activities. When the pandemic hit autistic children and their parents were now left receiving little support through online and phone counseling to the parents. This left long and unpredictable stretches o...