I wish this book would have existed about 12 years ago! I really appreciate the way Different Thinkers shows three distinctly different people who have autism and the way their lives look different. I also appreciate that the strengths of being neurodivergent are shown as well. Actually, there are so many details this book brought to light---like the presentation of autism in girls---the tools and self advocacy that neurodivergent kids can employ----and even the science of the brain!
I really loved this book and I think having a tool like this would have empowered me so much as a parent when it came to explaining to my son why life was sometimes a struggle for him.
The illustrations are bright, colorful, and descriptive. I think kids will love them.
Thank you for writing such a great book!

This book is a good sidon to any library and is easy and informative, helping the reader have a better understanding of autism.

This is a great educational children's book that teaches kids about autism and how people with autism their brains work a little differently.

My son was just recently diagnosed, so this book presented itself at the perfect time. I love how the authors used three different kids to show how different autism can present itself. The information given is perfect for children to understand. I enjoyed the prompts given, encouraging kids to answer topics for themselves. I also enjoyed the tips given to help with common issues. This is a great book to help your just diagnosed kid who may not thoroughly understand what exactly his or her diagnosis means.

A child-centered guide that explains autism and highlights the gifts of being neurodivergent!

Using simple language, complemented by appealing and captivating illustrations, Different Thinkers Autism offers an accessible and uplifting message about what it means to have autism, how autism affects emotions and behaviors, and what children can do to manage any challenges while building on their individual strengths.

Written for elementary-age youth, parents, educators, and clinicians, the book features three vignettes of children who are autistic. Each vignette highlights various aspects of autism and how these can shape a child’s behaviors and relationships at home and in school.

Thought-provoking prompts are included throughout the text to help young readers better understand an autism diagnosis, explore what it means to be a different thinker, and find empowerment and self-acceptance.

Different Thinkers Autism gives young children information and strategies that can help them flourish while reminding them that their strengths, interests, and abilities are what define them.

This is the second title in the Different Thinkers series, written to help kids understand their brains and the unique vulnerabilities and opportunities that come with being neurodivergent.

My Take:
I appreciated the way this book approaches autism: the use of scientific terms, soft illustrations, and activities to capture personal understandings. I would recommend this book for educators, grownups of children with autism, and community libraries.

4/5 stars. I couldn't get the file to work quite right, but that parts of the book I was able to access look very promising. I'll be recommending this book as a great starting point for beginning conversations with your child/student about recognizing differences and validating their needs. I plan to use this as a resource for my children who are different learners. As an aside I prefer artwork that is a little more old fashioned/classic (watercolor for example) for my students, as opposed to the modern. Thanks for the opportunity to review this book.

I really enjoyed this book. The authors really broke down autism in understandable chunks and related autism to the child. The authors give the reader a look at all the different parts of the brain and what they do then talks about how everyone's brains are different even if they are all diagnosed with autism. It provides activities to make the reader think about and understand themselves as well as advice to adults on how to help children understand autism.

As an elementary school counselor, I can easily see myself adding this book to my professional library as it is an excellent depiction of autistic children with lower support needs. This book does an excellent job giving information related to the brain, experiences of students who are autistic, and information about coping skills and accommodations that can help students manage their struggles.

#DifferentThinkersAutism #NetGalley.

As a special educator and mom of an 8 yr old recently diagnosed with autism, I really loved this book. It’s a great way to help explain autism to kids both with and without a diagnosis. I liked the interactive aspects and was thinking how this would be a great book to share with my son’s class to help them learn more and understand why my son does certain things (like wear noise canceling head phones in situations that might be overstimulating).

An enthralling little book, whether for adults or children, neuroatypical or not.

The drawings are incredibly cute and the text simple, yet instructive.

I liked the fact that different types of autism are described, which helps to avoid stigmatizing the syndrome.

I loved it and will gladly share it with my children!

Well structured book that helps both kids and parents. As a parent of two autistic boys who don’t quite understand their different thinkings. This book was a very well designed to help them understand their strengths and areas of development. It has a positive approach and most importantly did not make my boys feel inadequate. It really helped facilitate our conversation about their needs. The pictures and example kids were perfect for encouraging conversation with the child. If you’re a SENCO of a school, I would recommend this to parents and form tutors to talk through with any autistic students.

Book 287 of 300 ~ 2024

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Books like these help to educate others. When people are educated about what they do not understand, we can decrease prejudices.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#book287of300 #amreading #netgalley #tbrpile #instareads #readstagram #reading #bookreview #bookreviewer #booklover #booksAreLife #booksForTheWin #thisbookfairyisreading #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramfeature #bookshelf #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookworm #goodreads #booklovers #theSGbookfairyReads #theSGtrekkiereads #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookchallenge2024 #reviews #lovebooks #booknerds

Different Thinkers: Autism will educate young readers and promote understanding of autism. The authors explain autism through kid-relatable examples and inclusive illustrations. The authors illustrate the strengths, challenges, and unique perspectives of autistic individuals. As a librarian, I am always looking for inclusive books, this is a great one to include in classrooms and school libraries. Although the illustrations are aimed at younger readers, the text can be more complex.

I love that this book has been written in a way that kids can easily process the information. As a speech pathologist, it’s important for all kids to understand neurodiverse populations and how their brains work. It’s also
Important that kids who are neurodivergent know they are ok, but think differently than others. I enjoyed the pictures and the introduction of the three students. I also appreciate the mini lesson on the brain. I think this is a great book to share in a classroom. It leads to many appropriate discussions that can demonstrate that kids not on the spectrum may realize they might have similarities in their interests, just like a kid on the spectrum. Also, I feel that all kids and adults should understand how to advocate for a neurodivergent person, instead of assuming there is something wrong with them.
I will definitely use this book as a learning tool and seek out other books by these authors.

Great resource for kids and parents alike. The workbook section is so helpful for kids to figure out which strategies work best for them.

Great for reading one-on-one with a child --or their sibling or classmate-- who has just been diagnosed with autism. It includes how girls with autism present differently from boys with autism. I would not recommend this to libraries as there are several workbook-type pages where readers are encouraged to write in the book.

This is a cute read. It’s written with a light hearted approach and it’s fun illustrations help keep attention and maybe even lean in more. It’s written for a wide audience with friendly approachable language that helps educate and support young readers who may be curious s out Autism. Strategies are given as well as a section for parents/caregivers. This book could make for a great conversation topic with kids and help break the ice with peers.

Different Thinkers: Autism is a non-fiction, child-centered story written by Katia Fredricksen PhD and Yael Rothman PhD, as an introduction to neurodiversity and specifically autism. The illustrations are appealing and engage the reader. I also appreciate the diversity of the characters represented in the illustrations.

This book is informative, using simple language to explain various aspects of autism and how it can influence behaviors. It offers thought-provoking vignettes and prompts to encourage young people (and those who care for them) to consider their personal strengths and ways to manage their specific challenges.

The Different Thinkers books are an important addition to every library and classroom, as well as a necessary read for parents, caregivers, educators and clinicians who work with neurodivergent children.

I am looking forward to reading more books in the Different Thinkers series.

Many thanks to Boys Town Press for the digital review copy for review consideration, via NetGalley.

I thought that this book was excellent!

My daughter has a few friends at her Primary School that are autistic so this has been a real help using it to talk to her about the children to try to get her to understand more about their differences and to be tolerant.

There is a mix in her class and the children that are Neurodiverse do (unfortunately) tend to cause disruption in the class but I believe that this is most likely as there is not the right support for them in the mainstream education class she attends, so the book was key in explaining to her (she is 7) that they aren't just naughty as they are constantly being sent to the School Office.

The book is well laid out, lots of interesting information and helpful points and the glossary is great. I work in HR and one of the recent projects I had was introducing a Neurodiverse guide - I wish I had a basic guide like this at that point as it has a lot of detail without complicating the topic.

I liked that the images and illustrations in the book had a wide range of expressions, nationalities and ethnic backgrounds too so that all are covered and included in the book. This is a must for Teachers and those in education.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended!

Different Thinkers: Autism, is a non-fictional book written by Katia Fredricksen and Yael Rothman. This is a great introductory book for children who are autistic or neurodivergent, or even children who would like to learn more about autism to better understand those around them.
Some of the things that I really appreciated in this book were the stories of real children with autism, the scientific explanations of the brain and how it works, and the ways that the authors shared positive traits of those individuals with autism. I think sometimes children might focus on the problems they might experience or see based on their diagnoses, and I felt it was really encouraging to recognize that autism is not “all bad.”
Thank you to the authors, illustrator, publisher, and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.