Book Review: TalkAbility by Fern Sussman

If you have an autistic 2- to- 7-year-old child who's having a tough time using and recognizing speech (but who is verbal), this book is a very solid resource. If you fall outside that narrow range, however, you may find the book limited in scope. Rushed readers may appreciate the cartoon-style drawings, which provide ideas in a quick, visual format.

Many parents with autistic children are constantly frustrated: they try to talk, play or engage with their children only to be ignored or rebuffed. Of course, young children with autism are almost never intentionally rude, but that's largely because they have no intuitive sense of what you want or need. This big, friendly book from the folks at the Hanen Centre (a speech center in Ontario, Canada) is loaded with very specific advice to parents on how to overcome the communication gap and encourage real, meaningful communication between you and your child.

Some of the book's deceptively simple words of advice include "ask a question, then wait." Kids with autism process verbal language slower than their typical peers, so expecting an answer too quickly can sabotage your communication. The book also offers tips and hints for making ideas more transparent, explaining others' motivations, managing disagreements and more. Interestingly, it seems to incorporate elements from various disciplines, including floortime, social stories and other play therapies in its recommendations.

While Talkability describes itself as a book of "people skills for verbal children on the autism spectrum," it's really a bit less than that. Its focus is on family interactions for a specific age range, and while some of the book does discuss kids with limited or echolalic language, in general, the book is for kids who are verbal but quirky in their use of speech.