MSI Press Blog

Book Authority has listed Colette McNeil's book, Understanding the Challenge of "No" for Children with Autism , as #34 of the 74 Best Positivity Books of All Time. Congratulations to the author! Read an excerpt from the book on this blog: Communication

As autism awareness month winds down, for relatives and teachers of children with autism, as well as those who work with them, we have collected a list of blogs that might be helpful. Here is the list, with links (we have checked them, but if you find some that do not work, please do let us know).  Some of these blogs identify other blogs, so search, search! If you have a blog related to autism not mentioned here, send the URL to editor@msipress.com, and we will add it to the list below. Age of Autism Atypical Familia, with resources Autism Adventures Autism Site Blog Autism Speaks Autism with a Side of Fries : Living the Life with a Son on the spectrum, who proves that a side of fries makes anything better Autistic Mama : Parenting an autistic child? She can help! Awesomism Mom Bacon and Juice Boxes Embracing Imperfect Faith, Hope, and Love...with Austism Finding Coopers's Voice: The Secret World of Autism Friendship Circle Full Spectrum Ma

Communication No running, No jumping, No talking, No shoes – No shirt – No service.   Speaking in this style of negative phrasing is as common and ingrained as answering the telephone with “Hello.”   To the majority of society, the message is direct, concise, and typically easily understood.    Unfortunately, children with autism struggle with deciphering statements requesting the negation of an action. While it is not impossible for these children to learn some regularly used negative statements, it takes more effort and exposure to the exact phrasing to produce understanding. If we look carefully at the information provided by current researchers and practitioners of autism we could pinpoint some of the children’s receptive communication difficulties.   Autism causes deficits to varying degrees in the ability to understand verbal sounds and attach meaning to them.    Further, if the children do understand the individual spoken words, they may not be able to full

  Colette McNeil Colette McNeil aspires to develop confidence in individuals with autism by expanding the perspectives of their parents, families, teachers, and caregivers. Experience: Colette McNeil has worked with children and adults with disabilities for 30 years.  She spent 20 of those years teaching students with autism and related disorders ages 3-22. Additionally, Colette has a close relationship with her nephew with autism who is in his 20’s Education: Ms. McNeil holds a Master of Arts Degree in Psychology. Further, she is a prolific reader of Positive Psychology literature and embeds her learning into her daily interactions and coaching-consultation practices. Business: Through her business  Shared Perspectives Support , Colette McNeil provides private coaching-consultation services to families struggling with Autism and developmental disorders in the Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties of California, USA.\  Colette has published two books with MSI Press: Understanding

Still on the move, MSI Press staff is returning home to Hollister and San Juan Bautista, stopping on the way to meet author, Colette McNeil, at Porto's in Anaheim. (Great restaurant choice, by the way; Google it.) Colette is author of  Understanding the Challenge of "No" for Children with Autism . Her book has been reviewed with strong, possitive recommendations from  Readers' Favorite  (5 stars) and  Midwest Book Review  (a "must have" for parents and educators).

As school starts again, here are some great books for parents. All are available from online sellers, through local retailers, and at discount (code FF25 for 25% discount) from the MSI Press webstore. Want to read some excerpts first? Here you go: 365 Teacher Secrets for Parents (McKinley & Trombly): #11 Thinking Out Loud   Enthusiasm is contagious. Start an epidemic.  ~Unknown Did you know that talking to yourself not only helps you organize your thoughts but also helps your child? When you are working through a problem, make it a point to say what you are thinking out loud. Look for opportunities to do this. For example: "I need to make 100 cupcakes for the bake sale. If each muffin tin makes 12 cupcakes and I have 2 muffin tins I can make 24 at a time. So, let’s see… how many batches will I need to bake? I will divide 100 by 24…." Your child will realize that adults, like children, must go through a series of steps to conquer a problem. If you're e

Here are the current best-selling MSI Press books: Best seller this week Best seller last week Best seller last month Best seller last quarter Best seller 2019 to date

The following excerpt comes from the introduction to the book, Understanding the Challenge of "No" for Children with Autism   by Colette McNeil, long-time special needs teacher and aunt to a child with autism. Corey Giggling so hard he almost loses his balance, on tippy-toes, bouncing foot to foot, arms swaying in the air, 3-year-old Corey celebrates with joy as he watches Alice approach.   “Uh Oh! Corey thinks this is a game. I probably shouldn’t have been so playful.”  Alice has removed Corey from the tabletop three times in the last three minutes.  Each time keeping the interaction light, she spiritedly engaged, “Oh no, no, no, little man.  We don’t stand on tables. Get down.” He was then scooped up in a hug, spun away from the table and gently placed with his feet on the floor.  Now, standing next to the table, Alice speaks in a more subdued, neutral tone, “No, get down.”  Corey gleefully throws his hands up and rests his body against hers. Alice makes an