MSI Press Blog

  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

  San Juan Books is the hybrid division of MSI Press LLC. It allows first-time writers to become published in a traditional way through the reduction of risk by sharing publication costs. All other publishing features are traditional in nature, and most SJB authors go on to be offered traditional contracts for their subsequent books. SJB publications are available as paperback, hard cover, and e-book versions. SJB authors' books very much hold their own against their contemporaries in the traditional publishing division. Indeed, a number of them have outsold their traditional compatriots. Today, San Juan Books presents author 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. Add

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

  From the author --  The story behind Entienda el desafío del -NO- en los niños con autismo Entienda el desafío del -NO- en los ninños con autismo is the Spanish translated version of Understanding the Challenge of, “No” for Children with Autism. The author Colette McNeil was inspired to write Understanding the Challenge of, “No” for Children with Autism in the hopes of sharing information on how making purposeful choices when speaking to children with autism can improve understanding and cooperation. In her 30 years of working with autistic children, the author has noticed that the assistance provided to parents, care givers and education staff has mostly been delivered through a series of explicit strategies to address specific instances of need. The collection of a bag full of tricks or “tool bag,” is encouraged. For example, if we want a child to learn to request a snack item we teach the specific phrase “I want cookie please.” Then if we want the child to follow a direction to wa

Statement from Colette McNeil on World Autism Day: Autism Acceptance "Choosing to understand the needs and perceptions of children with autism and accepting the responsibility to change the way adults engage their individual child can improve trust, attunement and positive emotional relationships." See Colette's book:   McNeil , Colette. Understanding the Challenge of No for Children with Autism: Improving Communication, Increasing Positivity, Enhancing Relationships . MSI Press, LLC. Kindle Edition . Awards Legacy Award in Education, Kops-Fetherling International Books Awards Silver Award, Adult Classical Non-Fiction, Reader Views Literary Awards  For more posts about Colette McNeil and her books, click  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter 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 L

  Well, we just sent our babies (books) off to the American Library Association Annual Convention. If you go, look for them at the Combined Book Exhibit. A Theology for the Rest of Us //Yavelberg An Afternoon's Dictation /Greenebaum Choice and Structure for Children with Autism /McNeil Entienda el Desafio del -No- en los Ninos con Autismo /McNeil How to Live from Your Heart /Hucknall Learning to Feel /Kris Girrell Spunky Grandmas /Ken Mogren The Rose and the Sword /Bach & Hucknall Understanding the Challenge of No for Children with Autism /McNeil Women, We're Only Old Once /Cooper Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter 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 co

  McNeil's practical and portable volume can be a valuable reference work for parents Read the rest of this review by Barbara Bamberger Scott at US Review of books HERE . For more posts by and about Colette McNeil and her books, click HERE .

  Excerpt from  Choice and Structure for Children with Autism  (McNeil) -  Chapter 1 Some Simple Strategies Some Simple Strategies I would like to offer some simple strategies that could be helpful. Don’t worry! I am not going to attempt to teach you how to make your home a strict Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) program. I simply hope to offer some ideas to organize your day and offer a better outcome than the dismal portrait described above. These strategies will assist parents in developing simple and safe routines and choices that will make long days at home more engaging, cooperative, and positively stimulating for children with autism, their parents and siblings.   Ideas that will help decrease boredom, protesting, and isolation, while increasing, engagement, interaction, and cooperation will be shared throughout this book. The chapters will have relatable life stories included. These stories will demonstrate the chapter topic and provide a foundation for a discussion of the inf

  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. What happens wh

  Congratulations to Colette McNeil, whose book,  Understanding the Challenge of "No" for Children with Autism   has the silver award for the classical non-fiction category in the 2020 Reader Views Literary Awards.  This is the second of Colette's books to be selected for this distinction.  Choice and Structure for Children with Autism  has also won awards -- stay tuned.  To read more posts about Colette and her books, click  HERE .